


Can You Bench-Press Your Boyfriend?

by TheFlailing



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fitness AU, M/M, Stucky Big Bang 2016, basically just fluff, i still have no idea how to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 22:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7909624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlailing/pseuds/TheFlailing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a 19-year-old Bucky moved to LA, he was just naïve kid from Brooklyn, looking for an adventure. Now, almost a decade later, he’s grown up and learned that life isn’t as easy as he once thought it would be. He doesn’t have much, but he’s content with what he’s got. It’s not until Bucky switches his gym membership to Rogers’ Fitness and Health Center that the man finds something he didn’t know he was looking for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can You Bench-Press Your Boyfriend?

**Author's Note:**

> This is written for the Stucky Big Bang 2016, as organized by the wonderful folks over at [ The Stucky Library ](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com/) who are doing SPECTACULAR work! This fic is also dedicated to [ Ghost-Fish ](http://ghost-fish.tumblr.com/) , who is my partner in crime, and who is the AMAZING artist who did the accompanying art from the fic =D

Bucky rubbed his left shoulder, trying to ease the bone-deep aching. It had been two months since the incident, and he was still having trouble with his arm. Physiotherapy was helping, but the injury was still bothering him, and Bucky was getting frustrated with how slow his recovery was going. Yeah, rationally, Bucky knew that it would take a while, especially after what happened, but he couldn’t help getting mad at himself when he found himself struggling to complete certain tasks.

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Bucky pushed his shopping cart down the canned food aisle. The long, dark strands were getting greasy – he really needed to wash his hair more often. Picking out some canned beans, Bucky continued to the brightly lit produce section filled with piles of luscious green vegetables and vibrantly coloured fruits. Things were a bit tight this month – between the new physiotherapy payments and fewer shifts at the night club, he was stretching his paychecks thinner than he should.

As Bucky bemoaned the price of fresh tomatoes, he couldn’t help but think back to all the times he’d been in this situation – skimping on groceries to save a few dollars here and there. When he’d first moved to LA, all the way from Brooklyn, Bucky had been a young boy, barely a man at eighteen, star struck and looking for adventure. Now, a decade later, the harsh realities of life and adulthood had beaten the naiveté out of him. He didn’t have much, but he thought he was happy with what he did have.

Bucky was about to give up on finding any fresh vegetables for his dinner table when he spotted a sale on cauliflower. With a shrug, he grabbed a few heads and put them in his cart. It looked like he would be eating a lot of this stuff for the next week, but at least it was healthy. Bucky didn’t have much to boast about, but his body and fitness was one of the things he took pride in, and he considered regular exercise and a healthy diet very seriously.

Heading towards the cash registers, Bucky was thinking about whether he could afford milk this week when something caught his eye. Turning in the direction of movement, he spied a head full of blazing red hair, rooted to a round face and petite but compact body.

“Natasha?” he called out.

The woman, dressed casually in black yoga pants, a purple t-shirt, and a loose hoodie, turned and when she saw him, a smile breaking across her face. “James!” she said as she approached him, her own shopping basket hanging off her arm.

“Nat! It’s good to see you!” Bucky said as he gave her a brief side hug. He didn’t have many friends outside of work, but he would consider his former personal trainer one of them. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well,” Natasha replied, and she definitely looked it; Nat had always been friendly, but he couldn’t recall seeing her this radiant before.

Bucky smiled back at her. “I’m glad to hear it. Red Room Gyms isn’t the same without you.”

Nat laughed, the sound hearty and light. “Well I can’t say I miss it. That place was a hell hole.”

That comment pulled a chuckle from Bucky. “Well, that’s not a lie,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Are you still a member there?”

Bucky nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I’m still doing my work-out there.”

Nat sighed. “Who’s your trainer now? Don’t tell me it’s Rumlow.”

Bucky’s silence was the answer to her question.

“Oh James,” Nat said.

“It could be worse.” Bucky shrugged, but he knew that Nat could tell he was lying. He’d joined Red Room Gyms six years ago, when Natasha was just starting her career as a personal trainer and fitness coach. Not many places were willing to hire someone the shady background like hers, and she had been having trouble finding a place that would take her. Nat was an amazing trainer, and her guidance had done wonders for Bucky’s workout routine and physique. He’d been very upset when she parted ways with the gym almost a year ago.

Natasha snorted. “Really? That’s not likely; Brock is an asshole.”

“Yeah...”

“You deserve better, James. Customer loyalty only applies if you’re actually satisfied with the service, and I don’t have to ask to know that you’re not getting your money’s worth with Rumlow.”

Bucky winced – Nat always had a way of cutting right to the chase. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford to go anywhere else, and you know Red Room has weird membership policies; I wouldn’t be surprised if there were massive cancellation fees.”

“James, don’t do this to yourself, and more importantly, don’t do this to your body,” she said, placing a gentle hand on his left arm.

Bucky flinched.

Nat raised an eyebrow. She didn’t even have to voice her question; the small facial cue was a statement enough.

Bucky looked away. “It’s nothing ”

Natasha fixed him with a glare, and suddenly the man was very conscious of the fact that they were standing in the middle of a grocery store in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. “Your arm. Tell me what happened.”

Bucky rubbed his bicep absentmindedly. “There was... an incident, at work.”

The stern look on Nat’s face melted into one of concern. “Oh James...”

“I’m going through physio, and it’s helping, but my arm’s still... not 100%. I’m getting some strength back, but... it’s hard.”

Nat nodded. “I’m sure Brock isn’t helping either.”

Bucky barked out a harsh laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

“James, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but please consider switching gyms. If you stick with Rumlow, I can guarantee that you’re going to do your body more harm than good. Here,” Natasha said, turning to rummage through her small handbag. A moment later, she produced a business card and handed it to Bucky.

It was a fairly simple, standard business card, with Nat’s name, profession, contact information, and place of work on it. According to the card, she was now affiliated with Rogers’ Health and Fitness Center. There was a simple emblem featuring a star encased in several blue and red rings in the corner, which Bucky assumed was the gym’s logo.

“Check out the website, and think about it. You don’t have to work with me again if you don’t want to – there are plenty of highly qualified trainers aside from me. And don’t be scared of the how it looks online, I promise the monthly fees are comparable to what you’re paying now at Red Room.”

Bucky looked up from the card. Natasha looked genuinely worried about him, and it eased the lump in his chest that he didn’t even realize was there.

“Yeah, okay sure. I’ll... I’ll check it out.”

Nat smiled kindly at him. “Think about it? And whatever you decide, good luck.”

-8-

It was a few days before Bucky followed Nat’s advice and looked up the new gym where she worked. He’d just come back from a gruelling weights session with Brock and he was sore and more frustrated than ever. Working out was something that Bucky enjoyed, but lately he was beginning to loathe training days.

If Natasha hadn’t personally given him the recommendation, Bucky would have closed the web tab the instant the web page for Rogers’ Health and Fitness Center finished loading. The layout of the website was sleek, streamlined, gorgeous, and screamed ‘unaffordable.’ That sentiment only grew stronger as he looked through the facilities it had to offer.

‘Health and Fitness Center’ was the understatement of the century – this place was more like a sports haven. Housed on the edge of the affluent part of town, the business occupied an entire building! Gym, weight and exercise room, swimming pool, martial arts dojo, courts for squash, tennis, badminton, hot yoga studio – the list went on and on. It even housed a spa on the top floor!

There was no way in hell that Bucky could afford membership to this fancy place – it looked more like the kind of establishment frequented by people who owned yachts and summered overseas, not someone who lived in a shoebox of an apartment, going from one paycheck to the next.

Bucky closed the tab.

-8-

A week later, Bucky found himself standing (begrudgingly) at the front desk of Rogers’ Health and Fitness Center. The place looked even swankier in person, and Bucky gripped the strap of his gym bag with sweaty palms. He didn’t belong here, wearing a ratty pair of sweatpants riddled with holes and a threadbare t-shirt in the middle of a gleaming and polished foyer, complete with freshly waxed and shined floor, clean slick counters, and expensive protein-juice bar on the side.

The reception area was large and spacious with a high ceiling, and felt more like a lounge than a place of business. The floor’s white tiles shone pristinely in the warm sunlight that flooded in through the yawning, cavernous windows that lined the white walls. The colourful acrylic paintings, framed in stained wooden frames and adorned pillars and walls, were not the kind of decor Bucky ever thought he'd see in a gym. A check-in desk faced the doors, and behind them, several brightly lit hallways branched off and led deeper into the building. An open staircase on the side reached up to the second floor, and a sleek, steel-accented elevator lobby was just to the side of that.

Bucky almost backed out, feeling supremely out of place.

There was a young woman behind the front desk, typing away at a computer with a bored look on her face. The whole building was massively air conditioned, and even though it was the middle of fucking July, the receptionist was wearing a beanie, her long hair spilling past her shoulders from underneath the knitted wool. Large, black framed glasses perched upon a small nose, and agile fingers peeked out through the sleeve of a turtleneck sweater (in fucking July!!!).

As Bucky approached, he noticed that the woman had a smattering of piercings in her ear, and her fingernails were each painted a different colour, seemingly completely uncoordinated with anything.

That was interesting. From the look of the website and the upscale atmosphere, he almost expected the receptionist to be dressed either like a banker straight from a financial meeting, or swathed in liberal amounts of heavily branded sportswear.

The woman seemed to notice him, and looked up. She smiled widely. “Heyo!” she said with enthusiasm. “I don’t recognize your face; you must be new.”

“I- yeah, I’m not a member, but-”

“Hey! Great, no worries. I can help you with that, that’s what I’m here for,” she said. “Just looking for information, or are you here to sign up for a membership? If you're looking to join, do you know kind of membership were you looking for? We’ve got LOADS of stuff to offer, but you don’t have to get everything if you don’t want to – not many people actually do, cause let’s face it, who has the time and money to spend all day at the gym? Well, except for Steve, but that’s beside the point, cause he’s kinda crazy, I mean it’s one thing to have a hobby, but that guy practically lives here. Anyway, that’s why we have all kinds of offers and a build-your-own membership option and-”

The receptionist must have clued in to the fact that Bucky very lost – she was speaking so quickly it was hard to follow – because she paused mid-sentence and looked at him for a full five seconds.

“Okay. Do-over. Hi, I’m Darcy. Welcome to Rogers’ Health and Fitness Center; how can I help you?”

“Uh... I was wondering what it cost to get a gym membership?”

Darcy smiled warmly. “No problem-o!” Reaching over, she plucked a pamphlet from a pile sitting on the side of the desk. “Just the gym membership, or were you interested in any of the other facilities? Yoga? Martial arts? Swimming pool?”

“Just the gym is fine.”

“Can-do,” Darcy replied with a firm nod. “If you’re just looking for the gym, this is what it’ll cost you,” she said, flipping through the pamphlet and circling one of the numbers displayed.

Bucky blinked. “That’s... that’s it?” he asked. He was surprised – he was honestly expecting it to be out of his price range, but shockingly, the membership fee was not much more than the monthly fee he was currently paying at Red Room – and this place was much, much nicer.

“Yep! That’s it.”

Drawing the pamphlet closer, Bucky narrowed his eyes. There just had to be a catch. “Are there any... fees? Like, for registration or something?”

“Nope,” replied the receptionist, popping the ‘p’ as she said it.

“Really.”

“Really, really!”

“What are the hours?” he asked, still skeptical. The website had bragged that the gym was open 24/7, and that was important to him. Bucky worked nights, and he often liked to work-out after one of his shifts. It was calming to work up a sweat just before bed, and the gym was also usually deserted as well, but not many places were open past midnight.

“Any time, any day; the gym’s open 24/7. When you sign up, we’ll give you a membership card, and that will get you into the building during office hours. After hours, you can use the side entrance; there’s a three-door security system, but with the membership pass, you should breeze right on through.”

It seemed almost too good to be true. “I guess... I’ll sign up for a membership?”

“Awesome-sauce.” Darcy opened a drawer and rummaged around until she produced a clipboard, some forms, and a pen. “Please fill these out, and lemme know if you have any questions.”

Bucky accepted the forms and the pen, and began entering his information.

“You’re not a first-timer, I can tell.”

Bucky looked up from the forms to find Darcy sitting in her chair, chin propped up on her hands and looking at him with a not-so-innocent look.

“Uh... No...”

“You’re a gym rat – you got that vibe about you. So, which gym did you use before?”

“Uh... Red Room Gyms,” Bucky replied, trying to ignore her as he continued filling out the registration forms.

Darcy, however, gasped. “Red Room? Seriously?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, this changes things!” she said, rolling her desk chair back to the computer to begin typing.

“It- It does?”

“Oh yeah, definitely! Red Room stinks – I’ve heard all about from Natasha; it’s nasty,” she said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “If you’re leaving Red Room to join our gym I can give you a 20% discount if you sign right now for a six-month membership. You can switch it to the monthly auto-renew membership after, and you’ll be charged the regular price after the six months ends, but it’s a good deal!”

“You can do that? Is this some kind of promotion or something?”

“Of course I can do that! I’m the receptionist!”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “You’re not trying to scam me, are you?”

Darcy laughed, the sound high and light and filled with amusement. “No! I’m not trying to scam you! We’re always looking to attract new clients, and my boss explicitly gave me the right to offer discounts at my discretion if a potential client is thinking about joining us. You, bro, you look like a nice sort of guy, kinda tough on the exterior – you got this grunge thing going on with the long hair and the stubble and the baseball cap – but you look like a good guy under all that, and good guys like you deserve a break once in a while, you know? So, dude, I’m offering you a 20% discount on your first six months. You gonna take it?”

Bucky shrugged. “Sounds like a good deal. Why not.” He could always cancel his membership after the six-month term and go back to Red Room if he didn’t like it.

“Great! Sign here!”

-8-

Bucky never wanted to go back to Red Room ever again.

This new place was HEAVEN, and he totally didn’t understand how the facility managed to stay afloat when their rates were so low. The weight room was spotless, spacious, and had every piece of equipment Bucky could have dreamed of using. The locker room was also squeaky clean and the showers were divine.

He’d come in to work out for the first time a couple days after signing for his membership, in the late afternoon on a weekday. Bucky had gotten the day off from work and spent most of the morning and early afternoon doing some chores, and thought that a short workout would be a great way to end the day. The gym wasn’t too crowded, and there were all sorts of people there, both veterans with toned and sculpted bodies, to beginners and people trying to get into shape. Everyone seemed friendly and focused on their own routines, and it had made Bucky relax a little.

Today, Bucky was supposed to be meeting his new personal trainer. He’d requested Natasha, but according the Darcy, she was very popular and her appointments were booked solid for the next several weeks, so Bucky opted to go with someone in the meantime. Hiring a personal trainer wasn’t cheap, and even though Bucky was a seasoned pro when it came to working out, he didn’t want to take the risk of injuring himself with his messed up arm. In the end, Darcy had recommended someone named Pepper, and promised that he wouldn’t be disappointed.

Bucky stepped out of the locker room wearing his favourite pair of athletic shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Gathering his long, dark hair at the base of his skull, he tied it into a loose bun, a few stray strands escaping the elastic.

Being late was something that Bucky disliked, and according to his watch, he was several minutes early. There were a few benches to the side and Bucky took a seat, content to just wait. It was Wednesday morning, and the gym was fairly empty. Most of the other patrons were absorbed in their own routines, lifting weights, doing reps, or working on cardio. One or two of them, however, were clearly working with a trainer.

The sound of sneakers approaching pulled him out of his people watching, and Bucky looked up to find a tall, fit woman walking towards him. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail, and glistened like the colour of leaves in the autumn. She was wearing a mellow auburn tank top, black track pants, and a pair of branded sneakers.

Bucky stood just as she asked, “Are you Bucky?”

“Yeah, and you must be Pepper?” he said, shaking her proffered hand.

“Yes, that’s me,” Pepper replied, and her smiled reached all the way to her green eyes. Up close, Bucky could see a smattering of freckles dusted the bridge of her nose that the edges of her cheekbones. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Bucky returned the smile; already, he was feeling more relaxed about this training session.

“So you’re new to Rogers’ Health and Fitness? But from to look of you, I doubt this is your first time in a gym.”

The man nodded. “Yeah. I used to train with Natasha Romanoff before she was hired here.”

Pepper’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “Oh, you worked with Natasha? That’s great! She’s valuable member of the training staff here.”

Bucky nodded. “Nat’s all kinds of amazing.”

A small chuckle. “You don’t have to tell me. In addition to her personal training work, she’s recently started teaching kickboxing classes with Jane in the martial arts studio upstairs. Anyways, thanks for making an appointment with me. Since you’re clearly not new to the whole weight training thing, was there anything in particular that you wanted help with?”

Bucky shifted his weight from one foot to the other and absentmindedly played with the hemming of his long sleeve shirt. “I... yeah... recently, I injured my left arm. It’s a lot weaker and I don’t have much range of motion with it, so I... I can’t do a lot of the exercises that I’m used to having as part of my routine. It’s... getting better, but I didn’t want to make it worse by overdoing it, so I was hoping you could help me with that?”

Peppers smile was both warm and understanding. “I’m sorry to hear about your injury, but I would be delighted to help in any way that I can. Before we get started, would it be okay if I assessed the state of your arm?”

Bucky agreed, and he spent the first fifteen minutes of the session moving his arm to Pepper’s directions. Occasionally, she would politely ask to assess something with her hands. Her touch was firm and professional, and not once did Bucky feel uncomfortable. After she was finished mapping out the extent of the damage and evaluating what his arm could and could not do, Pepper spent the rest of the session going through Bucky’s regular routine and offering adjustments or alternate exercises to accommodate his injured arm.

By the time they finished, Bucky was sweaty and extremely happy with his decision to switch over from Red Room – this place really was clearly superior in every way.

“Well, I hope that helps,” said Pepper as they wrapped up their session.

“Yeah,” said Bucky, panting slightly from the exertion, “your advice was super helpful. I can already tell it’s going to make a big difference in my training; thanks.”

Pepper smiled. “You’re welcome. I saw on my schedule that you only booked a one-time session. Were you looking for more help, or just today? We can set up regular meetings, if you like, or you can go appointment-by-appointment if that works better for you.”

Bucky took a large gulp of water from his bottle. “By appointment works better for me – I kind of get irregular shifts at my job.”

Nodding in understanding, Pepper continued to smile. “Alright then, just let Darcy know if you want another session, and feel free to make an appointment with any of the other trainers here.”

“I will, thanks,” Bucky replied with his own small smile.

“We also have a physiotherapist here, if you need one.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “You do?” He shouldn’t have been surprised that an upscale place like this had an in-house physiotherapy clinic, but he was still surprised anyways.

Pepper nodded. “Sam is excellent, and I’ve only heard glowing reviews from our clients. Members get a small discount, so it’s an option you can consider.”

“Huh, okay cool, yeah, I’ll definitely think about it.”

“Alright, well take care, and good luck with your workouts Bucky,” Pepper said with a polite goodbye wave.

“Thanks for your help today,” he replied, and Pepper departed in the direction of the managers’ office. Taking a big swig of water, Bucky took a moment to catch his breath. He didn’t realize what he’d been missing. It had been a long time since Bucky had worked with Natasha, and he was surprised to find that he’d forgotten how amazing it could feel when one’s personal trainer actually knew what the fuck they were doing.

With a satisfied sigh, the endorphins humming through his blood, Bucky stood, gathered his things, and headed for the showers.

-8-

Bucky hugged his hoodie closer, hefting his gym back higher on his shoulder. The midsummer night air was humid and warm, but Bucky shivered anyways. Under the street lamps, the man walked briskly through the empty streets. He’d just finished a shift at the night club, and he was getting the itch for a workout. Thankfully, Rogers’ Health and Fitness was not only open 24/7, but also wasn’t too far from where he worked, so the walk wasn’t too much of a hassle.

As Bucky rounded the corner, the magnificent building that was his destination came into view, and he could already feel the stress in his body beginning to relax. He’d been to the gym after midnight a few times already, and finding the side entrance to the weight room wasn’t hard.

Changing quickly into his workout clothes, Bucky stepped into the weight room with a sigh of relief. It was good to be back.

He was, however, not alone. Immediately upon entering the room, Bucky noticed another man working out in the corner. In order to save energy, the weight room dimmed most of its lights after hours, and had motion sensors to turn them back on if a patron were to come and make use. Off to the left, the loose weight section was lit up, and under the fluorescent spotlight, was a man. This was the first time Bucky had run into anyone in one of his post-midnight sessions at Rogers’ H&F, but he figured it was bound to happen eventually.

Bucky had to try very hard not to stare (and failed spectacularly) because man, this guy was built like a truck! Sporting only a pair of very short athletic shorts that left nothing to the imagination, the man’s entire physique was on display – and what a physique!

The man was sitting on one of the exercise benches facing the wall of mirrors, doing triceps curls. With each extension of his arms, Bucky could clearly see the large, indubitably firm, very well defined muscles sliding gracefully under the man’s pale, milky skin. Those beefy, delicious arms were attached to an impossibly broad set of shoulders. People with well-defined backs were one of Bucky’s weaknesses, and this man’s back made Bucky want to melt into a puddle – each and every bulge was sculpted as if from marble. It shouldn’t have been possible, but the man’s front was even more impressive than his back – he had chiseled six-pack abs that some guys would kill for, and on top of that, Bucky had never seen a man with tits as delicious as the ones staring him in the face right at that moment. God, Bucky wanted to drown in those pecs, they were positively sinful. Eyes wandering lower, Bucky found no lack of want there either – all that bulk was supported by powerful looking thighs and calves that looked like they could split bricks, and try as he might, Bucky couldn’t help sparing a glance (or three) at the man’s crotch. A blush started to creep up Bucky’s neck and he could feel the blood rushing south, because the man’s bulge looked proportional to the rest of his body (namely, very large and very cared for).

The silence in the room was broken by the very subtle, very quiet, but very noticeable click of the locker room door falling closed behind Bucky. At the sound, the man paused in his reps and looked over. Even from across the gym, Bucky could make out the intense blues of the man’s eyes, framed by thick, golden eyebrows. The man’s short, straw-blonde hair was damp and dripping with sweat, and his firm jaw was clenched in concentration.

 _Stay calm, Barnes_ , Bucky told himself as he gave a small wave and nod of acknowledgement. The man returned the nod and went back to his tricep curls.

 _Pretend he’s not there_ , Bucky thought as he moved over the treadmill for his warmup. Bucky very felt self-conscious for the first five minutes, but as he fell into his routine and focused on his body, Bucky’s awareness of his surroundings slowly faded.

Zoning out, Bucky’s routine fell into place. After warming up on the treadmill, Bucky could feel his heart beating steadily in his chest. Feeling ready, Bucky decided to move on to crunches and sit-ups. He’d discovered a long time ago that doing strength training at this time of night wasn’t a very good idea – his long, late night shifts not only made him tired, but also affected his concentration – so he tended to do cardio, core training, and endurance training at night, leaving his strength training to daytime workouts.

Some people liked to listen to music at the gym, but Bucky found it distracting sometimes, so he usually liked to exercise to the sound of his own breathing and the hum of blood pumping steadily through his veins.

He was about half an hour into his groove when a gasp broke through his concentration.

Blinking as he resurfaced from being in the zone, Bucky sat up and looked over to where the sound had come from.

The blonde man was on the other side of the gym, doing bench-presses. Subconsciously, Bucky found himself calculating the weight he was pressing and – holy fuck that was impressive. He watched as the man struggled to lift the laden bar. With another gasp and a small cry of pain, Bucky saw the man’s arms tremble and the bar suddenly dropped a few inches on one side before it stabilized shakily.

“Shit,” Bucky breathed as he jumped to his feet. Weaving between the exercise machines, he booked it to the other side of the room.

“Ah!” the man cried, and Bucky reached him just in time to catch the bar before it collided into his chest.

“Fuck,” Bucky panted. It took all his strength the help the guy lift the bar back onto the holder. “Whew!” he said when it was secured into place. “Dude, you shouldn’t be pressing without a spotter.”

Blonde Thick and Gorgeous sat up and wiped the sweat from his face, bracing his elbows on his knees and leaning forwards, panting heavily. If not for the hollow look in the man’s eyes, Bucky would have had issues concealing the rising interest in his pants.

“Thanks,” the man said. His voice was deep, rich, and had a heavy timbre that made the air almost crackle.

Bucky frowned. “You okay?”

The man exhaled deeply. “Yeah, yeah I’m good,” he said, looking up at Bucky with a small, tired smile.

But there were dark circles under the man’s brilliant blue eyes, and the more Bucky paid attention, he could hear a sort of haunted quality to his voice. “You sure?”

The man nodded in response, but Bucky wasn’t convinced.

“Alright, if you say so. Take it easy okay? I’m Bucky, by the way,” he said, offering a handshake.

“Steve,” the man said by way of introduction, and accepted the handshake – Bucky noticed that Steve’s grip was firm, but not crushing. “Are you new? I haven’t seen you around before.”

Bucky shrugged. “Yeah, I just started here.”

Steve nodded. “Nice. How’d you like it?”

“It’s awesome!” Bucky said with a wide smile. “Way better than my old gym.”

Steve chuckled, a low and throaty sound that sent tingles up Bucky’s spine. “I’m glad to hear it.”

There was a short pause of silence; Bucky looked down at his shoes, fingers playing with the fraying hem of his shirt while Steve seemed lost in his thoughts for a second.

“I guess I should let you get back to your workout,” Steve said quietly.

“Oh, uh... sure? Unless you need a spotter? Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself or anything.”

Steve looked up at Bucky from where he was sitting, seemingly searching for something in his expression, before answering, “Nah, I think I’m good for tonight; I should probably turn in soon anyways. But thanks for the offer.”

Bucky shrugged. “No problem.”

“Thanks again for the save.”

“Anytime,” Bucky said with a smile, and Steve smiled in return. Bucky could tell that it was a little bit brighter than before, but there wasn’t any real heart behind it.

Bucky wandered back over to where he had been exercising, and Steve began putting away the weights he had been using. Trying to keep from being rude or staring, Bucky concentrated on finishing up his routine, and soon he fell back into the zone.

About half an hour later, Bucky finished up and, looking around, saw that Steve had already left. Bucky must not have noticed when the other man left, judging by the deserted state of the room. He didn’t know whether to be disappointed, or relieved because on the one hand, damn was Steve fine as hell, but on the other hand, he was oh so very much out of Bucky’s league.

Grabbing his towel, Bucky wiped the sweat from his face and neck as he made his way towards the locker room, looking forward to a nice hot shower. Pushing the door open, he was about to start shucking clothes when he noticed he was not alone. On the other side of the locker room, Steve was dressed in a pair of loose khakis and a white shirt that was stretched taught over his chest and abs. Hearing the door, the blonde turned in the midst of pulling on a light windbreaker.

“Oh, hey,” Steve said.

Apparently he hadn’t missed Steve by very much if the man was just getting dressed.

“Hey,” Bucky said, nodding as he headed towards the locker he’d stashed his bag in. Grabbing his towel, Bucky was about to turn towards the showers when Steve approached him. He had his own gym bag slung over his shoulder, and looked about ready to leave.

“Bucky, I just wanted to say thank you, again, for earlier.”

“No problem Steve, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

The other man’s lips turned up in a tiny smile. “Well, I gotta get going, but maybe I’ll see you around?”

Bucky gave Steve one of his winning smiles. “Yeah, sure thing!”

Steve’s smile widened ever so slightly. “Okay, well, see you, then. Good night – or good morning, or however it works at this hour.”

Bucky laughed. “See ya Steve,” he said with a wave, turning towards the shower with the slightest bit of bounce in his step.

-8-

Over the next few weeks, Bucky often ran into Steve during his workouts at the gym. Honestly, he didn’t really understand why a golden god like Steve would even be interested in paying any attention to him, but nonetheless, the two men had struck up an amiable friendship. Bucky and Steve often chatted during their workouts and in the locker room.

Freshly showered and thrumming with energy from his workout, Bucky was dressed in a pair of old sweatpants, a light grey shirt, and a loose hoodie. He found himself in the food-court-slash-lounge area of Rogers’ H&F, staring up at the large menu of Clint’s Clandestine Juice and Protein Shakes. Bucky’s stomach grumbled.

Tapping his chin, Bucky considered whether or not his budget this week could afford an expensive, fancy protein shake. The answer, unfortunately, was a resounding ‘no,’ just like all the other times he’d thought about getting one. The drinks looked really good, and Bucky had left the locker room with a craving for one, but he was already stretched thinner than usual this month.

“I’d recommend the Wild Berry Blaster; it’s my favourite. Although, if you’re looking for something unique, the Pina Colada Crusher tastes great and it’s an awesome post-workout energizer.”

Turning to the source of the now familiar voice, Bucky smiled as Steve bumped shoulders with him. “I’m not a big fan of Pina Colada, but the berry one sounds really good,” he lamented as he bit his lower lip. Steve looked delicious, even just wearing a pair of soft jeans and a loose flannel, a gym bag slung over his left shoulder. He must have been using one of the other facilities in the building, cause although Steve had that post-exercise glow about him, Bucky definitely did not see him in the weight room or the locker room showers.

“You should try it,” Steve said with a genuine smile.

Sighing, Bucky shook his head. “Nah, I shouldn’t,” he said, deliberately failing to provide the reason why. He knew his financial situation wasn’t something of which to be ashamed, but whenever he was at Rogers’ H&F, he always felt a little self-conscious about it.

“Nonsense, Clint’s shakes are amazing.”

“Unfortunately, I... don't think it's in the cards for me today,” Bucky said.

Steve looked at Bucky for a second, a thoughtful look on his face, before saying, “It’ll be my treat, then.”

“What? No, Steve-” but the man wouldn’t listen to his protests. Instead, the blonde turned and marched straight up to the counter. “Hey Clint,” he said, greeting the man behind the counter.

“Hey, how goes, Steve?” the middle-aged Clint replied. He had soft green eyes, short, dark blonde hair, and a gentle smile.

“Steve,” Bucky hissed, not impressed at what this guy was trying to pull.

The hunky blonde, however, ignored him. “It’s going okay,” Steve said to Clint. “You?”

Clint shrugged, tugging on the sleeve of the purple polo shirt he was wearing, the logo of the juice stand embroidered on the side. “Can’t complain. What can I get you?”

“Steve, don’t you-”

“Two Wild Berry Blaster protein shakes, please. Large.”

“-dare.” Bucky glared at the back of Steve's head. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”

Clint chucked at the two of them as he punched the order into the cash register. “Two Wild Berry Shakes coming up!” As Clint bustled over to the blenders, Steve took out a card and to complete the transaction.

“Steve, I cannot believe you just did that,” Bucky grumbled. He was totally not embarrassed and most certainly not blushing. (He totally was).

Much to Bucky’s chagrin, Steve merely gave him a million-watt smile that made Bucky’s stomach flip and blood rush to places he wish it didn’t when he was wearing a loose pair of sweat pants. “It’s my treat, Buck, don’t worry about it.”

And if Bucky hadn’t been blushing before, then, well. Nobody he’d ever known had been dorky enough to shorten his already short nickname, and it was both extremely cheesy in a way that made Bucky want to roll his eyes, but it was also kind of extremely endearing in a way that Bucky didn’t know how to respond, other than turning a deeper shade of pink.

So instead of responding, Bucky crossed his arms and watched Clint as he piled ingredients into his blender.

A minute later, both men were holding cups filled with a thick, deep violet liquid. Steve was smiling like a kid with an ice-cream cone, and Bucky was trying his best to glower – he didn’t like owing people favors, and ever more, Bucky hated being treated like a charity case. He knew that Steve didn’t see it that way, but he couldn’t help it. Bucky blamed it on the upscale-y-ness of Rogers’ H&F.

It was infinitely more difficult for Bucky to maintain his frown after taking his first sip of the shake because good god was this thing heavenly! Bursting with fresh fruit flavour, milky, ice cold, thick, and utterly to die for, this shake was like drinking a berry-flavoured masterpiece, and it was everything Bucky had hoped for and more.

Steve looked like he was also enjoying his shake, until, that is, he looked over and caught the sour expression on Bucky’s face. “You... don’t like it?” Steve asked hesitantly, and his uncertainty was probably cuter than it should have been.

Bucky deliberately took another sip and glared at Steve. “I hate this shake, it’s the best fucking shake I’ve had in my life and I hate you for getting me addicted to it,” he said with disgust.

It must have taken a minute for Steve to process what he’d said, because for a second, Steve looked worried, before breaking out into a chuckle. “Well I’m glad you like it.”

“What are you smiling about? I blame you, this is all your fault,” Bucky said as he continued to sip his shake.

Steve laughed again. “Totally not sorry. How’d your workout go today?”

Bucky only intended on chatting with Steve for a few minutes, but somehow the two of them ended up sitting at one of the tables and talking for over an hour, long after both of them had finished their drinks. Steve was easy to talk to, Bucky was surprised to realize – it was hard for him to open up to people, but there was just something innately trustworthy about Steve.

Only when Bucky glanced up at the wall clock did he realize how much time he’d spent talking to Steve.

“Crap! I’m sorry Steve, I have to go, I’ve got some errands to run before the bank closes.”

“I’m sorry for keeping you,” Steve said, looking worried and very apologetic.

Bucky waved it off. “No that’s okay, it was good talking to you. See you soon, yeah?” he said, grabbing his bag.

“Definitely,” Steve said with a smile that could rival the brightness of the sun.

-8-

“Hey Buckaroo!”

Bucky’s eye twitched. “Don’t call me that,” he said as he approached the reception counter.

“Whatever you say, Bucky Ducky,” Darcy replied with a mischievous grin from behind the desk. “Actually, you're exactly the person I was looking for.”

Bucky looked up from where he was currently rummaging through his bag in an attempt to find his membership card. “What?” He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“You won our monthly contest, dummy!”

“Excuse me? What contest?” Bucky gripped his keys tightly in his right hand.

Darcy made a sound of exasperation and rolled her eyes. “Our monthly draw, Grouchy Face. Every month, all of our members are entered into a draw, and whoever wins gets upgraded to Premium Membership for one month.”

“Oookay?”

“Don’t look so skeptical, it makes you look like a squirrel. And no, this is not a hoax. Your membership will be upgraded to premium next month and for one month only; we’ll downgrade it back to what you had before when the month is up. We’re not trying to swindle you or trap you or anything, so relax.”

“Why are you giving away free premium memberships? Sounds like a bad business idea,” Bucky said as presented his card to the scanner.

The receptionist shrugged. “Part of the Big Boss Man’s big plan. He wants to introduce people to new kinds of exercise and help our members find different ways of getting fit. People are more willing to try new stuff if it’s free.”

“I guess that makes sense. So what exactly does this Premium Membership give me?”

“Loads of stuff. Unlimited 24/7 access to the gym and weight room - which you already get with your current membership – unlimited drop-in classes in our hot yoga studio, unlimited drop-in classes in our martial arts studio, unlimited access to the swimming pool, unlimited drop-in access to the sport courts, a 10% discount on all food, merchandise, and services, and one free 1-hour massage session at the Northern Reflections Spa upstairs.”

Bucky hefted his gym bag higher on his shoulder. “That’s a lot of ‘unlimited’ things.”

“Yep,” Darcy said, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis. “There’s a reason why only people in the third tax bracket and higher can afford it.”

Bucky let out a low whistle. “You don’t say.”

“Anyways, you should take advantage of it while you have it.” Darcy dropped her voice to a loud faux-whisper. “Not many people do when they win, they try one, maybe two new things, and then waste the rest of it. Carpe diem, grab the fish by the balls! Take a martial arts class with Ichiki Sensei or a kickboxing class with Jane or a yoga class with Bruce or try squash or tennis or badminton!”

“I’ll think about it,” Bucky said, moving around the counter towards the locker rooms.

“You better! I’d be super disappointed if I look at your sign in record and see that you haven’t!” Darcy yelled after him.

“Wait, you look at my sign in records?!?”

“Oops- I mean what? Of course not! We have member privacy rules and stuff,” she said, tugging at the hem of her orange beanie and appearing to concentrate very hard on making entries into her computer.

“You better not be!” he called back as he pushed open the door to the men’s locker room. Changing out of his sweatpants and into a pair of athletic shorts, Bucky let his mind drift. Today was leg day, so he kept his hoodie, stashed his stuff in one of the lockers, and moved towards the weight room.

Bucky was almost done his workout when the locker room doors opened and a familiar body of perfection walked into the room. Steve, wearing a red and white tank top and blue shorts, looked around as he entered the room, his crystal blue eyes darting from one corner of the room to the next. When the man spotted Bucky in the corner resetting the squat rack, a smile broke out across his face.

Suppressing a smile, Bucky tried to wipe the sweat dripping from his forehead as Steve jogged over to him.

“Hey Buck, how’s it going?” How was it possible for Steve to be so damn cheerful all the time?

“I can’t complain,” Bucky replied. “You?”

Steve shrugged casually. “Same. Are you in the middle of your stuff, or...?”

Bucky shook his head, droplets of sweat flying from the tips of his dark hair as he did so. “Just finishing up, actually.”

“Oh,” said the blonde, and Bucky hoped to god that he wasn’t imagining the tiny twinge of disappointment in Steve’s voice.

“Yeah,” said Bucky with a groan as he pushed himself up from where he was sitting. “Leg day.”

“I hear you there,” Steve said with a grimace.

“You?” Bucky inquired as he started to gather his things.

“Chest and arms today.”

Bucky nodded. “You bench pressing today?” he asked, picking up with towel and water bottle.

The blonde shrugged. “I might. We’ll see.”

Bucky snorted. “You better not be doing bench presses without a spotter again, Stevie; you’re going to hurt yourself.”

To Bucky’s delight, Steve blushed ever so slightly, and Bucky felt very pleased with himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. He’d been trying to find the right time to use that nickname on Steve ever since the blonde had started called him ‘Buck.’

“I- well- usually it’s fine, I’ve done it a lot before,” he said, slightly flustered.

“Well, you shouldn't. It's not safe. Do you want me to spot you today?” Bucky offered with one eyebrow raised.

Steve frowned. “But... aren’t you done? You probably have better things to do with your time, I don’t want to keep you if you have other plans and-”

“Steve, it’s okay, I don’t mind hanging back.”

“You sure?” the blonde giant asked, searching Bucky’s eyes.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” Bucky said as he slung his damp towel over his shoulder.

Steve smiled. “Thanks Buck, you’re the best.”

“No problem. Lead the way, man,” he said, trying to do his best to ignore the fluttering in his chest (Steve had called him the best!) and followed the man to the opposite end of the room.

Steve, like Bucky, always did a bit of cardio to warm up before every workout, so the two men started in the treadmill section of the gym. Bucky leaned against the treadmill frame as Steve lightly jogged, and they fell into a light discussion about their training routines. The fact that Steve could even hold a conversation while on the treadmill just spoke even more volumes about how fit the man was. Bucky was not jealous. Not at all.

(He totally was)

When Steve was limber and warmed up, they moved to the weights section. Steve claimed an empty bench and started loading weights onto the lifting bar as he continued to detail his exercise regime to Bucky.

“Steeeve,” Bucky whined as the blonde Adonis clipped the last weight into place.

Steve quirked his eye in response. “Yes?”

“That is an obscene amount to be benching. Why did you have to turn out to be one of those gym rat meatheads who spend more time at the gym that most people spend sleeping?” Bucky complained with a pout.

Steve broke into a smile. “What? What are you talking about?”

Bucky snorted. “You got this... wholesome goody-goody, boy-next-door look goin’ on,” he said, gesturing vaguely to Steve’s entire body, “and lookin’ at you, you’d think ‘gee, this is a stand-up guy, probably nice, smart, charming, and sweet as hell.’ And then you step into the gym and do that,” Bucky said, pointing at the lifting bar.

Clutching his chest, Steve broke into a deep, resonating laugh that seemed to make Bucky’s bones positively vibrate. “Is that so?” he said, voice low and eyes sparkling.

Heat flooded Bucky’s cheeks, try as he might to suppress the blush. “Yes. Turns out, you’re just a huge meatball,” he said.

Steve shrugged. “I don’t just lift weights, I’ll have you know,” he said as he took a seat on the padded bench. “I do all sorts of exercise, and I happen to have a very sensitive soul under all these manly muscles, thank you very much.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Says the man who’s about the bench press more than I weigh.”

Steve merely winked as him as he lowered himself to take his position under the bar, and if Bucky said that his stomach wasn’t doing flips, well he’d be lying.

“I’m also an expert at martial arts and I do yoga, I’ll have you know,” Steve said as he adjusted his grip on the weight bar.

“Wait, you do?” asked Bucky as he got into the spotter’s position.

“Yep,” said the blonde from beneath him as he took in a measured breath and lifted the heavy, weight-laden bar off the stand.

Watching Steve do bench presses from above was so hot it was almost surreal – it was a miracle that Bucky was able to stop himself from popping an insta-boner (which would have been hella embarrassing, seeing as Steve' face was literally right underneath his crotch) as he watched Steve’s ungodly perfect muscles flex and undulate under his tight tank top, wet and almost transparent with sweat.

“Hot yoga’s up on the fourth floor,” Steve panted as he worked the weights with controlled precision. “I take three classes a week, four classes if it’s a good week. And then I take the master class martial arts with Ichiki Sensei twice a month. I also swim laps occasionally too.”

Bucky let out a low whistle as Steve finished up his set and replaced the weight bar on the rack. “Well no wonder you look like a marble statue come to life. Are you one of those people with the Premium Membership to this place?”

“Something like that,” he said. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Steve blushed, a light pink shade blooming across his milky complexion. Bucky was delighted to discover that Steve blushed with his whole face and neck, the rosy hue disappearing under the collar of his shirt (Bucky wanted to know just how much of Steve’s body turned pink when he blushed).

“It sounds like you practically live in this building, Steve. I know exercise is healthy for you, but I think you’re taking it a bit overboard,” said Bucky, the corner of his lips quirking up.

The man lifted a shoulder casually. “Call it a hobby,” he said, resuming his position for another set.

“Some hobby,” Bucky grumbled, resolutely trying to ignore the way Steve’s arms bulged as he lifted the weight bar once more (it was positively sinful).

Several minutes of silence passed, filled only with the sounds of gym equipment and human exertion. As Bucky waited for Steve to finish his set, his mind wandered to the other facilities in the building.

“Hey Steve?” he asked as the weight bar clicked back into its place.

“Yeah?” Steve said between quiet pants (which was totally NOT a complete turn on).

“Sounds like you’re really familiar with all of the facilities in this place.”

The blonde sat up and grabbed his water bottle from the floor. “You could say that.” Taking a long draught of water, Bucky watched Steve’s throat as his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Licking his lips, Bucky tried to look away. “What would you recommend to someone thinking of branching out?”

Steve perked up, his eyes brightening and his expression opening up. “You’re thinking of trying something new?”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Apparently I won some sort of monthly draw here?”

A dazzling smile lit up Steve’s face. “The Premium Membership draw?”

“That’s the one.”

“Congratulations! That’s awesome!”

Bucky smiled sheepishly.

“That’s great though! You should ABSOLUTELY do a hot yoga class! There’s nothing like it!”

“Yeah?” Bucky said, unable to stop from grinning. Steve’s enthusiasm was electric, and it made him glow in a way that was hard to describe.

“Totally! Bruce – he’s the main instructor; spent six years traveling and training in India and South East Asia – he’s super nice and the class is phenomenal!”

Bucky found himself agreeing to go without really knowing what he was getting himself into.

Steve was beaming. “You should definitely take a class.” The man’s intensely blue eyes sparkled for a moment before his expression changed. “Oh, but I should give you fair warning.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I’ve heard some complaints from people who take the class with certain... expectations, and they get really frustrated when it doesn’t turn out how they were anticipating.”

Bucky frowned slightly. “Like how?”

Steve huffed, and his face scrunched in concentration as he appeared to search for the proper way to explain. “It’s like... People have this stereotypical view of yoga – and I don’t blame them cause the media only portrays it in one way – and everyone thinks that yoga is this mellow, chill class where you sit and picture yourself sitting in a tranquil forest or something. And there are classes out there that are designed for relaxation and you do exactly that, but the style of hot yoga that’s offered here is different.”

“Different how?” Bucky asked, intrigued.

“It’s a more active style of yoga. Much more physically demanding and it’s a total workout. Excellent cardio, too. The poses are performed in a heated room with high humidity to relax the body and promote flexibility.”

“Really?” Steve was right, it sounded like the opposite of what Bucky thought yoga classes were typically portrayed to be.

“Yeah. Don’t go in expecting it to be easy; you gotta treat it like any other gym workout. But that being said, I don’t want to scare you away from going to a class; it’s great for your health.”

Bucky found himself nodding. “Okay. I guess I’ll check it out.”

Steve was radiant.

Going back to his workout, Bucky spotted Steve as he finished up his sets. After, Steve moved to a different apparatus to do some other exercises, and Bucky found himself following him to continue their conversation. About another hour later, Steve was doing some stretches to wind down, and the two were still engaged in a pleasant chat that followed them into the locker room, talking over the spray of the shower as they washed up in separate stalls (which was both a shame, because it deprived Bucky of the no-doubt spectacular view of Steve naked, but also a blessing, because Bucky was also sure that the sight of Steve naked would be the cause of his death). By the time they parted, Bucky has resigned himself to the fact that he was so far gone for Steve that it wasn’t even funny, it was just pathetic (but he wouldn’t have it any other way).

-8-

Bucky rubbed his left bicep as he shouldered open the door to the Howling Commando’s Bar and Club. It was late in the afternoon, the sun sending streaks of pink and lavender across the sky, painting the backdrop for LA’s skyline in muted colours.

“Barnes!” roared a deep voice.

“Hey Gabe,” said Bucky with a small smile as he unshouldered his pack.

A smiling man approached him with a wide smile shining on his face, his deep, rosewood hued skin practically glowing in the dim lighting. “Good to see you again, man!” Gabe said as he clasped Bucky firmly on the right shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. How was your vacation?”

“Fuckin’ awesome!”

Gabe launched in to an animated story from his vacation, slinging an arm over Bucky’s shoulder as he steered Bucky towards the bar where a middle-aged man with a finely kempt mustache was polishing glasses.

“Barnes,” the bartender greeted with a nod.

“Falsworth,” Bucky replied with a small salute.

“Bar or door?” the man asked as Gabe continued to regale them about the apparently incompetent waiter he had encountered.

“Bar,” Bucky replied.

Falsworth nodded, returning his attention to the glasses.

“...and then the dude had the audacity to ask for a 20% tip! Can you believe that?” Gabe concluded.

“That’s not even unprofessional anymore, it’s fucking insulting,” Bucky said in agreement.

“RIGHT?” Gabe said, throwing his arms up for emphasis, and Bucky laughed.

As Gabe launched himself into another story, Bucky turned around to lean back on the counter, surveying the empty club. He’d been working here for the better part of the last decade, and it kind of felt like home. The owner had taken a chance on him and given him a job here when he was at his lowest, and it was probably what had saved him from crawling back to Brooklyn, penniless and his pride in ruins.

The bar and night club would be opening in about half an hour, and the empty room would feel eerie if Bucky hadn’t seen it so often before or after closing. The establishment itself was divided in half – the bar and pub section had booths and furniture made of polished wood, with a homey, earthy feel to it. Separated by a sound-proofed wall, the other half housed the night club and dancefloor, where loud, music throbbed to the baseline, dim lights, and alcohol created an organic, bestial atmosphere.

Bucky was so absorbed that he didn’t notice that Gabe had stopped talking, and it was only the sound of a soft but stern voice that broke him from his thoughts. “Ready for service?”

Blinking, Bucky turned to find a woman standing by the bar, her burgundy hair coiffed and curled meticulously. Wearing a white blouse beneath a trim black blazer and black dress pants, the woman gave off a commanding aura.

“Yes ma’am!” Bucky replied with a smile, standing at attention and giving her a salute. “You’re looking as fine as ever, Peggy.”

Lips painted with mahogany lipstick curved into a luscious smile, and Peggy let out a small laugh. “Don’t try to flatter me, Barnes,” she said as she approached with arms wide.

Bucky gave her a warm hug. Half a head shorter than him, Peggy fit perfectly into his arms. The woman had opened the Howling Commando’s Bar and Club nearly fifteen years ago, and that it was still a popular place spoke volumes.

“I’m sorry to call you in on such short notice – Morita called in sick only a few hours ago.”

Releasing his boss from the hug, Bucky shrugged. “No problem. I don’t mind, more shifts mean more money for me,” he said with a wry smile.

“Alright, well as long as you’re taking care of yourself.” She didn’t say it out loud, but Bucky could tell that Peggy was still worried about his arm. Although the incident had been three months ago, he still wasn’t fully healed and he had a sneaking suspicion that Peggy still felt guilty over the whole thing (never mind the fact that she was zero percent to blame for what happened).

“Yes mom, I’m taking care of myself, as you can see,” he said, flexing his arms to illustrate.

Everyone burst into laughter, and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh with them.

“I take it you’re spending a lot of time at your new gym, then.”

Bucky shrugged.

“How’s Tall Blonde and Handsome?” Peggy asked.

Bucky frowned in confusion. “What? Who?”

“You know, that guy – Falsworth, what was his name?”

The Brit behind the bar smirked. “Steve, I believe was his name.”

“Ah yes, Steve! How’s Steve?” asked Peggy with a knowing look.

Bucky flushed pink. “W-What? How do you even know about Steve?” he questioned, looking from Peggy to Falsworth. Even Gabe had an amused look on his face. Wracking his brain, Bucky tried to recall if he’d ever mentioned Steve to any of them, but he could have sworn that it hadn’t come up in conversation.

“We heard from Dugan who heard from Dernier that you had the hots for this ‘Steve’ fellow at your new gym,” Peggy said with an all to mischievous smile.

“Who said I had the hots for Steve?” Bucky said defensively.

“Nobody,” said Gabe, “but your expression tells everything we need to know.”

Blushing even harder, Bucky stammered. “Fuck you guys,” he said, grabbing his bag and stomping to the staff room to chance into his work clothes. His co-workers were nosy gits who needed to gossip less.

-8-

Bucky couldn’t find the time to attend a yoga class until the end of the first week of his Premium Membership. After almost memorizing the Beginner’s FAQ page on the website, the elevator deposited Bucky into the yoga studio on the fourth floor of Rogers’ H&F clutching his bag nervously.

The lobby was wide, the floors and walls furnished with polished wood. Mood lighting cast a natural and calming vibe over the room. There was a small wall fountain on the far end of the room, and the sound of quietly bubbling water was soothing.

As suggested, Bucky had arrived half an hour before class was to begin. It looked like another session had just ended, and sweaty men and women were wandering around the lobby area with towels and yoga mats. There was a reception desk to the side, and a middle-aged man was sitting on a stool behind it. Dark, curly hair crowned the man’s head, his face accented by a largish nose and wide lips. He was wearing only a pair maroon yoga shorts, and droplets of sweat dusted the man’s dark skin.

Bucky approached the counter.

The man on the stool looked up and smiled softly when he saw Bucky. “Hello,” he said. The man’s voice was quiet with a gentle timbre; it felt like the caress of a calm summer breeze on a cool day at the beach. Immediately, the nervous knotting in Bucky’s stomach began to relax.

“Um, hi?”

“How can I help you?”

Bucky’s eyes flicked to the side for a moment. “I’m... uh... here for the 3pm class?”

The man’s warm smile widened. “Wonderful! Thank you for choosing to join us this afternoon. Are you a new student?”

Bucky nodded.

“Okay,” said the man, reaching over to the side and lifting a clip board from one of the file folders. “Have you done any hot yoga elsewhere? Or is this your first time?”

“Yoga virgin.”

The man laughed, a small and quiet sound. “I see.” Placing the clipboard on the counter, he slid it over to Bucky with a pen. “Please read through this waiver and sign at the bottom.”

“Waiver?”

“Yes; it’s just to say that you legally acknowledge the risks of taking part in the yoga in a heated environment and that the studio takes no responsibility for any physical injuries you may sustain inside.” Bucky’s face must have shown concern, because the man was quick to follow up by saying, “it’s mostly just a formality, the chances of injuring yourself are a very, very small, and most of the injuries are caused by overzealous people who overstretch their boundaries.”

Bucky nodded. He skimmed the waiver briefly before signing his name at the bottom and returning it to the man.

“Excellent. Do you have your membership card?”

Bucky took said card from his wallet and passed it over.

“Ah, thank you!” The man took the clipboard over to the computer, scanned the card, and started typing his information into the system. “Okay, your Rogers’ H&F membership is now updated with our logs here. You’re good to go,” he said with a smile. “I’m Bruce, and I’ll be the instructor leading you through today’s class.”

Bucky returned the smile. “Bucky,” he said by way of introduction.

“It’s nice to meet you Bucky. Class doesn’t start for another twenty minutes, so there’s plenty of time to get changed. Locker room and showers are on the opposite side of the studio,” Bruce said, indicating the doors to Bucky’s right. “Do you have a yoga mat and towel, or will you be needing to rent them from the studio? It’s an extra three dollars to rent from us.”

“I’ll need to rent, please,” Bucky said, rummaging around for his wallet.

“Not a problem,” Bruce said with a smile. As Bucky sifted through his spare change, Bruce produced a padded yoga mat and thin towel from behind the counter. Accepting the coins, the instructor handed Bucky the items. “Now, since this is your first time, there are a few things to keep in mind.”

“Okay.”

“The most important rule to remember is: do only what you are comfortable with. Do not try to do everything – that’s the easiest way to injure yourself. Do what you can, and stop when you need to. Nobody will judge you if you need to take a break; even the most experienced yoga practitioners need to sit out postures once in a while. This is even more important for the first class. Your goal for today is to simply remain in the room for the whole class. If you need to sit down or lie down, please do. Also, I will not be performing the poses with you, but I will be talking you through everything. If you feel lost, feel free to look at what other students are doing. Straightforward?”

Bucky nodded.

“Excellent. Finally, do you have any injuries I need to be aware of?”

At the question, Bucky stiffened. “I...” his grip tightened on his duffle bag. “Yes.”

Bruce didn’t seem phased by Bucky’s clipped tone. “You don’t have to say more if you do not wish to. Simply, please be advised to take it easy with your injury; that’s how many students end up making their injuries worse. Hot yoga is an excellent therapeutic and can help your body heal, but only if you work with your body, and not against it.” The instructor gave him a warm smile.

Bucky tried to smile back before heading over to the change rooms. In the men’s locker room, Bucky knew he shouldn’t feel self-conscious – he’d done this countless times before – but it being a yoga studio made things different enough for him to feel nervous. Removing his sweatpants, Bucky pulled on his athletic shorts and pulled down the cuffs of his long-sleeve shirt before going back into the lobby.

Water bottle, yoga mat, and towel in hand, Bucky didn’t really know what to do. There was still fifteen minutes until class started, and he wasn’t really sure how these things went. There were a few people inside the hot room, stretching on their mat and towels, and several more people milling about in the lobby chatting with one another.

For the lack of a better option, Bucky ended up sitting on one of the benches to the side, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, looking at his bare feet. Bucky’s stomach churned nervously, and he tried to remember how he’d been talked into doing this.

“Bucky?”

The now very familiar voice caused Bucky to look up, and he almost had a heart attack at the sight of Steve wearing nothing but a pair of bright blue short-shorts (honestly, Steve should be arrested for public indecency!). Swallowing thickly, Bucky couldn’t help but drag his eyes slowly up from Steve large, pale feet, up his sculpted, firm calves and powerful thighs to his trim, shorts-clad waist, on top of which were his perfectly chiseled washboard abs. A light smattering of freckles dusted the top of his broad chest and shoulders. Under one of his unbelievably toned arms was a pale gray yoga mat and a weathered and worn red yoga towel.

“Steve?” said Bucky once he found his voice again.

“Are you here for a class?” Steve asked, delight blossoming across his face.

“Um, yeah, this is my first one,” he said, trying to suppress the heat he felt creeping up his face.

“That’s great! I’m so glad you decided to come!” Steve said, and he looked so eager and happy that it made Bucky’s heart flutter for a moment. “Have you changed yet?”

Bucky looked down at himself, and then back up with Steve. “Yes?”

“Oh, okay.”

Looking down again, Bucky licked his lips with uncertainty, suddenly feeling self-conscious again. “Is... uh... did I do something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no, that’s fine, it’s just, the yoga room is really hot, and wearing a long sleeve shirt might be a bit stifling; I’m just worried about you overheating.”

“Oh.” Conflicted, Bucky bit his lower lip, trying to decide what to do. On the one hand, Steve had a point, but on the other hand...

“I’ve made you uncomfortable; I’m sorry.”

Bucky looked up to see Steve looking super guilty. “I... No, that’s okay.”

“Forget I said anything,” Steve said, still looking ashamed of himself. “Did you bring water?” he asked, changing the subject.

Bucky lifted his water bottle. “Yeah, I did.”

“Ice?”

Bucky shook his head.

“Here, you might want to mix some ice in with your water,” Steve said, unscrewing the cap of his own large water bottle to reveal it was half ice. “The temperature will gradually heat the water, and if you don’t go in with ice, it’ll get lukewarm like halfway through class and it’s kind of disgusting to drink.”

“I-”

Taking Bucky’s water bottle, Steve managed to juggle a good portion of his ice into it.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Steve said with a small smile. “We should probably grab a spot in class.”

“Okay, sure, lead the way,” Bucky said. He wasn’t really sure what he was doing and now that Steve was here, it would be easier to follow the blonde’s lead. Trailing behind Steve also had the perk of watching the man’s incredibly firm ass, which was just positively sinful. (Bucky couldn’t take his eyes away)

Steve crossed the room to the glass doors that opened into the hot room. Stepping over the threshold, Bucky was immediately hit with a wall of heat and humidity, and fuck but it was hot!

Under his bare feet, the polished soft wood floor was warm and gentle. The dimly lit room was completely silent save the sound of the fan and humidifiers. Shaped like one big rectangle, the longest wall was lined from floor to ceiling with mirrors. Looking around, some of the other students had set up their mats and towels, all facing towards the mirrors – the front of the room, maybe?

Steve leaned over and whispered into his ear. “Where do you wanna go?” The soft breathe tickled Bucky’s skin and sent shivers down his spine.

“I don’t know,” Bucky whispered back, “where do you usually go?”

Steve pointed near the far corner of the room. “Over there.”

Bucky nodded. “Looks good.”

Weaving in between the already set up students, Steve and Bucky padded over to the indicated corner. With one smooth motion, Steve unfurled his yoga mat, laying it down on the ground. On top of that, he carefully placed his towel, and Bucky mimicked him.

Once set up, Steve moved to kneel in the very centre of his towel; Bucky did the same. Looking over to see what to do next, Steve gave him a small, almost secretive smile, and brought his finger to his lips to indicate being quiet.

Bucky nodded. Okay. Quiet time.

Placing his hands on his knees, Steve straightened his back, closed his eyes, and kept still.

Looking forward, Bucky examined the room through its reflection in the mirrors in front of them. Some students were doing what Steve was doing – sitting still and meditating quietly. Other people were warming up and stretching on their mats. Others still were lying on their backs with their eyes closed, and it looked like they were sleeping.

Bucky fidgeted on his mat. He wasn’t accustomed to sitting still like this, and the heat was making him uncomfortable. Absentmindedly, he pulled at the hem of his long sleeved shirt. A thin layer of sweat was starting to form all over his body, and it was making the cotton shirt stick to his skin in an unpleasant, suffocating way. Bucky squirmed.

Trying to emanate Steve, Bucky closed his eyes and tried to settle down, tugging at his shirt again.

“Bucky?”

Opening his eyes at the sound of Steve’s whisper, Bucky found a concerned expression staring back at him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, ‘m fine,” Bucky mumbled, but Steve didn’t look convinced. The man’s crystalline blue eyes glanced to where Bucky was tugging at his shirt.

Looking around, Steve carefully crawled over to kneel beside Bucky’s mat and placed a hand on his right shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on?” he said gently.

Bucky looked away. “’s hot in here,” he mumbled.

“Do you want to take off your shirt?”

Bucky shook his head. He knew it was irrational, but... he couldn’t help being self-conscious about the whole thing. It was the reason why he hadn’t worn a t-shirt in the last three months. Embarrassment and shame welled up inside him, and suddenly Bucky was starting to feel boxed in, his breathing and heart rate speeding up in response.

“Hey, Bucky, hey, it’s okay.” Steve slowly moved so that he was directly in front of Bucky, one hand rubbing gently at his clothed shoulder. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Whatever it is, it’s okay. I got you.”

Looking up, Bucky met Steve’s concerned gaze; a look of worry was painted on the blonde’s face. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I... should just do it. It’s stupid, I know but-”

“No,” Steve objected, “whatever it is, it’s not stupid.”

Bucky nodded. “Thanks. I... want to do this though. I don’t want to let this hang over me any longer.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. ’m sure. Just... Steve, please don’t... make a big deal out of it, okay?”

Steve shook his head. “Of course not. I would never,” he said gently.

Nodding, Bucky shifted to grab the hem of his shirt. Ever so slowly, he began peeling the fabric away from his moist skin of his abs and back, up to his shoulders, and then away from his right arm. Bucky extracted the cotton away from his left arm last. Once removed, he tossed the damp shirt in a small heap to the side.

“Oh, Buck,” Steve whispered.

Bucky looked away. He didn’t want to see the pity in Steve’s eyes. The scarring wasn’t pretty, he knew, which is why he was wearing the long sleeves in the first place. Long, jagged and puffy lines ran the breadth and length of the arm, and Bucky couldn’t stand to look at it.

“Bucky, hey,” Steve said, and a warm, rough hand was placed gently on the side of his neck. There was a small pause, and then Steve was reaching forward to gather Bucky in his arms in a gentle embrace. “I’m sorry.”

“’s alright,” Bucky said quietly when they parted. He would have to get used to it eventually, so why not start now?

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but just then, there was a crackle over the sound system Bucky didn’t even know was present.

“Good afternoon, class,” said a quiet, calm voice. “The lights are coming on.” A moment later, the click of a switch, and ceiling lights flickered to life.

Steve gave Bucky a questioning look.

“’s okay, I’ll be okay,” Bucky whispered to him as the students around them began to stand.

The blonde nodded. He still looked unconvinced, but there was nothing he could do with class starting.

Bruce walked to the front of class and set his water bottle down beside the folded towel. “Hello everyone, and welcome; I hope you are all having a good day. Thank you for choosing to spend your afternoon with me.” A small smile. “We have a new student with us today,” Bruce said, his deep brown eyes searching the room.

Bucky gave a little wave.

Bruce smiled. “There you are, Bucky. Welcome to our hot yoga class. As I mentioned before, today’s goal is to try to stay in the room for the whole 90 minutes. If you need to sit or lie down, please go ahead; don’t feel pressured to try to do everything today. We do all of the poses twice, so if you’re confused, you can watch for the first set, and then join in on the second set. Steve, on your right, is a veteran,” the man said with a wink, “so you can always follow what he’s doing, and he won’t lead you astray. Alright, well let’s get started. Have a good class everyone!”

-8-

The ebb and flow of time seemed to slip away as Bucky lay upon his yoga mat, panting heavily. His mind was blissfully blank, and Bucky seemed to be aware of only two things: the pulse and beat of blood through his veins, and the steady sound of Steve’s breathing beside him. Bruce had dimmed the lights at the end of the class, and staring up at the empty, dark ceiling seemed to fill Bucky with a strange sense of peace, one that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

The ninety minute class had been harder than he’d expected, even after taking into account Steve’s warning, but he was proud to say that he tried all of the poses at least once. Steve was totally right though – Bucky felt like he’s just run a marathon, and his whole body was aching in that oh-so-pleasant way it did after a good workout. His heart still hammering in his chest, and Bucky had discovered there were muscles aching that Bucky didn’t even know he had! Grueling, but in a fun way, is how Bucky would have described it. He was also more flexible than he expected to be; although, he was still nowhere near as flexible at Steve.

Steve – just, fuck was it amazing simply to have the chance to watch him. It took a hell of a lot of concentration for Bucky to pull off even a semblance of each pose, but Steve was always in the corner of his eye and seeing him in every one of the twenty-six postures, sweat glistening on the blonde’s pale, creamy skin, was almost a religious experience. Had Bucky’s blood not been rushing to oxygenate his straining muscles, it would have definitely been rushing to his dick. The heat and exertion was making everyone sweat by the bucketful, and being in the same class together also conveniently answered the question of how far Steve’s blush extended. The elevated temperature and physical strain caused the man’s skin to flush with a deep fuchsia hue, right from the roots of his hair, past his razor sharp cheekbones, spilling down his neck and blossoming across the top half of his chest.

Blinking at the memory, Bucky’s attention shifted when he heard movement from Steve. He didn’t know how long they had spent lying there, but Steve was moving to get up. Sitting up and looking around, there were only three other students in the room left besides them. Steve was now standing and gathering his things, so Bucky moved to do the same.

When Steve glanced over and their eyes met, the blonde gave him a tired but content smile.

Once out of the yoga room and in the lobby, Steve patted Bucky on the shoulder gently (his hand was large and warm and moist with perspiration but the contact still made Bucky’s stomach flip over). “You did so great, Buck!”

Bucky returned with a tired grin. “Thanks.”

“How’d you like it?” Steve asked.

“It was hard, but good.”

“Feeling okay?”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Everything aches, but it’s the good kind, y’know? I liked it.”

Steve beamed, and Bucky thought it might be possible to power an entire city with the brightness of that smile. “That’s great! Although, you should probably take it easy tomorrow. You might not feel it now, but you’ll definitely be feeling it in the morning.”

Bucky laughed. “Is that right? Well it’ll be your fault for roping me into this in the first place.”

The two of them hit the showers together, and as Bucky stood under the hot spray of the showerhead, he had to confess that he felt amazing. After all of that stretching and twisting, his body felt loose and pliable and was sensational.

Steve met up with him after they finished changing. “Wanna go downstairs and grab a protein shake? My treat.”

Bucky shook his head. “No. Nuh-uh. I still owe you for the last shake you bought me!”

Steve smiled devilishly, and goddamn did Bucky want to be on the receiving end of that more often! “C’mon, get your ass downstairs.”

Laughing, Bucky allowed himself to be ushered into the elevators.

-8-

Bucky was so sore the next morning that he almost couldn’t get out of bed. He thought he was in good shape with all of the weightlifting, but apparently not, since EVERYTHING HURT.

It was totally all Steve’s fault.

-8-

“It’s totally all your fault!”

Steve burst into laughter, grabbing his chest as he threw his head back (it was a sound that Bucky wanted to hear as often as possible).

“Well maybe if you were actually in shape, it wouldn’t have been so bad,” Steve teased, the light dancing in his blue eyes.

“Hey now, that’s just being mean.”

Steve shrugged, crossing his arms. “I’m just calling it how I see it.”

Bucky punched him lightly in the bicep (the skin-to-skin contact totally _did not_ increase his heart rate, not at all). “You’re such a punk; anyone ever tell you that, Stevie?”

“So are you going to go for another class?”

-8-

Bucky didn’t know how but he found himself in the yoga studio a week later, with Steve smiling smugly beside him.

-8-

11:00 pm was the time when things really got busy at the nightclub – the thumping bass and flashing lights enthralled the crowds on the dancefloor, and Bucky loved it. It was easy to lose oneself in the beat and rhythm of the music, to be utterly washed away in the darkness.

Dressed in a simple, clean white dress shirt – top two buttons open with the right sleeve rolled up to the elbows, the left sleeve buttoned at the cuff – and a plain black vest overtop, matched with his favourite pair of blood red skinny jeans, Bucky felt at home. The Howling Commandos was really buzzing tonight, which meant that the drinks kept rolling and the tips kept coming. He was manning the bar with Morita tonight, and they were having a good time, flirting with the patrons and pouring out drinks. Bucky loved his work, and he loved everyone on staff – they were like one big family.

Bucky had just finished serving up a tray of shots when he heard a deep, silky voice address him.

“Hey there Mr. Barman, I’d like to order some drinks.”

Bucky turned to the source of that voice, velvety and smooth sounding. Leaning against the glowing countertop (Peggy had just renovated the counters to be glass with neon lights underneath, and it gave the bar a really cool, electric feel to it) was a man.

Bucky raised an eyebrow as he gave the patron a through and very obvious once-over. Slightly taller than average, the man was wearing an ash grey polo shirt, its short sleeves showing off a pair of sizable biceps and the material stretched over a broad chest, which tapered down to a nice waist. The shirt was tucked into a pair of worn and ripped jeans that were clinging to a pair of power thighs and one of the juiciest asses Bucky had ever seen (still not as fine as Steve’s ass, but then again, nothing was as fine as Steve’s ass).

“What can I get you, handsome?” Bucky asked, leaning over the counter to look the guy in his deep brown eyes, the neon glow from the counter casting a tinge of fluorescent green and pink onto his rich, cinnamon brown skin.

“You got anything classy back there?” the man asked with a mischievous grin.

“Depends on what you’re into,” Bucky replied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. This guy was hella fine and he definitely wouldn’t mind tapping that.

“I’ll take a vodka soda, and a gin and tonic.”

Bucky chuckled. “Do you have a friend to share with, or are you having that all to yourself?” he asked as he turned to pull the required bottles from the shelf.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the man replied cheekily as Bucky pulled out clean glasses. With a flourish, Bucky poured the two drinks and slide them across the counter. The man pushed a paper bill back in return. “Keep the change,” he said, taking a sip of the vodka soda.

“Cheers,” Bucky said with a nod and a smile.

Calls for more drinks from other patrons caught his attention, but as he served more drinks, he kept the man in of the corner of his eye. Tall Dark and Handsome had one drink in each hand, leaning back onto the bar with his elbows on the counter, and was looking out onto the dance floor. He stayed that way for the next twenty minutes, taking sips from his drink – the vodka soda, Bucky noticed, was the only glass becoming more and more empty.

It was when Bucky had his back turned serving another customer when he heard the man speak again.

“That was quick,” said the man.

“No different than usual,” another deep voice replied. “You get me a drink?”

Bucky heard a chuckle as he capped the steel martini shaker and began to mix the drink. “Gin and tonic, just the way you like it,” the customer said to his friend.

As he poured the clear liquid from the shaker into a frosted martini glass, Bucky’s heart sank. It sounded like Mr. Sexy had a partner. Of course. Shaking his head, Bucky tried to ignore the disappointment (maybe the guy and his beau would be up for a threesome? It was unlikely, but one could hope, right?)

“I know what you’re going to say, Sam,” the new voice was saying, “so keep your trap shut.”

Finishing with the martini, Bucky pocketed his tip. May as well see if hot guy was at least banging a hot boyfriend, Bucky thought as he turned back around.

And then came face to face with-

“Bucky?”

“Steve?!”

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Tall dark and handsome wasn’t just dating, he was dating _Steve_.

Which meant that Steve was taken, and very much not single.

Why did life just love to watch Bucky suffer?

Steve was dressed in a black jeans that made his ass look positively sinful and a white t-shirt that was so tight, Bucky swore he would be able to see Steve’s gorgeous tits if the lighting was better. On top of that, he had on a red and blue plaid shirt and his sandy blonde hair had been styled a little.

Bucky wanted to die.

“You work here?” Steve asked, still looking a little stunned.

“I- yeah, I do.”

“For how long?”

Bucky shifted his weight. “Like, seven years?”

“No way?”

The sound of a laugh drew both their attention; it was Steve’s boyfriend. The man opened his mouth to say something, but Steve glared and yelled “Shut it, Sam!” which only served to make the man laugh even harder.

Steve blushed, and Bucky didn’t care if the blonde wasn’t available, because nothing on earth could ever get him to look away.

Just then, there was a call for drinks from down the bar, and Bucky was pulled away. It was packed tonight, and a flood of orders meant that he couldn’t get the chance to talk to Steve. However, that didn’t stop him from glancing over at Steve every five seconds like a love-struck teenager (god was he pathetic).

Over the course of the evening, Steve stayed by the bar, nursing his drink and ordering a refill on two occasions. Sam lounged beside him for most of the time, occasionally leaning over to whisper something in Steve ear that always drew a reaction. Halfway to closing, Sam disappeared onto the dance floor, but Steve remained at the bar. It wasn’t until the crowd started to die down that Bucky had the chance to talk to Steve again.

“How’re you holding up, soldier?” Bucky asked, leaning on the counter top.

Something flashed behind Steve’s eyes, but he laughed heartily. “The night started out kinda lame, but it’s improved considerably since I’ve arrived at the bar,” Steve said, eyeing Bucky up and down in a very clear ‘come hither’ look.

Bucky’s smirk deepened. “Oh yeah? And what would Sam think?”

Steve chuckled. “Sam’s been trying to set me up all night. He likes to go dancing, and when his husband's out of town, he drags me along instead and tries his hardest to get me laid; I don’t know if it’s his skills as a wingman or if there’s something wrong with me, but nothing ever really seems to work out,” said the blonde with a self-depreciating smile.

Bucky’s heart skipped a beat. Sam and Steve weren’t an item? Maybe life didn’t hate him so much after all...

Orders at the bar were dying down, and Bucky spent the rest of the evening chatting with Steve when he wasn’t pouring drinks. Steve was apparently a heavyweight, the only indication that he’d been drinking was the slightest of pink that dusted the man’s cheeks.

By the time Sam appeared at Steve’s elbow at closing, Bucky was feeling high and light.

“See you at the gym?” Steve asked as he was on his way out.

“You know it!”

(He was totally in over his head).

-8-

Over the next few weeks, Bucky and Steve’s gym schedules ended up synchronizing. Whether this happened by design or by accident, Bucky wasn’t entirely sure, but he wasn’t going to complain – he really enjoyed Steve’s company, and he made an excellent workout partner. Bucky also continued to attend hot yoga classes with Steve, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that even after only three weeks of practice, the yoga was helping with his injury. He was regaining more mobility in his arm and aching pain was noticeably lower than it had been before.

Spending so much time with Steve, however, had the side effect of progressing Bucky’s physical attraction and small crush into something substantially more. If he was being completely honest with himself, Bucky was actually kind of terrified with just how strong he feels for Steve had become in such a small time. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he was in love with Steve – at least, not yet – but he was definitely on course and headed straight for it, and Bucky wasn’t sure if that was entirely a good thing.

Instead of doing something about it, Bucky, like the coward he was, just swallowed his feelings and just tried to keep moving through life. After all, what were the chances that Steve was interested in Bucky? Steve was smart, funny, incredibly sincere, virtuous, hot as hell, and apparently rich enough to afford to both pay for a premium membership to Rogers’ H&F as well as spend a ridiculous number of hours using that membership. Why would he be interested in a penniless, scarred (both physically and emotionally), and inconsequential person as Bucky? And beside all that, Steve might not be interested in men in the first place.

The whole thing gave Bucky a headache and left him feeling like there was a Steve-shaped hole in his chest, so he tried not to think about it too much. Between the physiotherapy, the gym sessions, and work, there wasn’t much time to think about it anyways.

-8-

Bucky was twenty minutes, give or take, into this yoga session. Breathing heavily and dripping with sweat, it took almost all the concentration he had to hold his Standing Bow Pulling Pose. It was a challenging pose, and Bucky could feel the ache and stretch in his arm, leg, and torso as he tried his best to get the form just like Steve’s. Although Bucky was staring straight ahead at his reflection in the mirror, he always kept Steve’s reflection in the corner of his eye, partly because Steve’s form was incredible and he made for an excellent reference, and also because watching Steve do yoga was rapidly becoming one of Bucky’s favourite pastimes.

About halfway through the hold – Bucky now struggling a bit to keep his breathing even as he focused on balancing – there was movement from beside him. Unexpectedly, Steve suddenly fell out of the posture, falling forwards and catching himself on the floor with his hands and knees.

The sudden movement was jarring; blinking in surprise, Bucky had to concentrate extremely hard to hold his posture. Wobbling a bit, it took a few seconds to regain his balance. One he had resettled back into his posture, Bucky had just enough focus to spare a glance at Steve in the mirror. The blonde was sitting in a kneeling position, hunched over with his hands on the floor. Sweat was dripping from his brow and dotting the towel beneath him. Heaving very heavily, Steve was uncharacteristically out of breath.

A soft clap announcing the end of the pose's first set broke through Bucky’s concentration, and as Bruce smoothly transitioned the class into the pose's second set, Bucky noticed that Steve wasn’t getting up to rejoin the class.

Bucky’s brow drew together, and he frowned. This was very unusual. He’d been doing yoga classes regularly with Steve for three weeks now, and in all that time, he’d never once seen Steve sit out a pose. Yeah, the guy wasn’t perfect, but the blonde was usually so composed that he almost made it look easy.

Steve ended up sitting out the next three postures, and Bucky was getting more and more worried by the minute. When Steve got up to attempt Balancing Stick Pose, he wavered slightly as he stood, and fell out of this posture almost as quickly as he went in.

Bucky’s heart sank like a rock. Something was wrong, and he was getting really scared.

As Bruce transitioned the class into the next series, Bucky caught Steve’s eye in the mirror.

“You okay?” he mouthed – they weren’t allowed to talk in class, but Bucky needed make sure Steve was okay.

There were heavy bags under Steve’s eyes, and he looked both haunted and exhausted, but Steve only nodded. “I’m okay,” Steve mouthed in reply as Bruce instructed the class to assume Dead Body Pose.

“You sure?”

Steve nodded.

Despite the reassurance, Steve sat out almost the entire remainder of the class, opting to remain lying on his mat. Bucky found his concern for Steve interfering with his focus, and he had a much harder time getting into and saying in the poses than usual. By the time the class drew to a close, Bucky had a gnawing feeling in his stomach, and he was deeply concerned for Steve.

When the class ended, Steve was usually one of the last people to leave the room, but this time, he was one of the first people to exit. Bucky wanted to chase after him, but his head was swimming after the intense session, so he took a few minutes to let his breathing and heart rate come back down a bit before gathering his things.

Hurrying to the men’s change rooms, Bucky’s eyes anxiously scanned the benches until he saw Steve sitting on one in the corner. The man was hunched over his knees, and he was still breathing heavily. Bucky approached with haste.

“Steve?” he called gently. “Steve, are you okay?” he asked as he crouched down so that they were level face to face.

Steve panted heavily for a few minutes before replying, which made Bucky panic a little bit on the inside. “Yeah, I’m – I’m fine,” the blonde gasped.

“Are you sure Steve? Cause you don’t seem fine. Do you need to see a doctor? Can I do anything to help you?” Bucky asked.

Steve shook his head, flinging small droplets of sweat into the air. “No, no I’m okay Buck, but thanks.”

Bucky, however, was still not convinced. Placing one hand on each shoulder, he pushed gently. “Hey, Stevie? Please, can you look at me? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Steve lifted his head and pulled back just enough so that his cerulean blue eyes met Bucky’s worried gaze. “Positive,” he replied softly as he wrapped one of his large, rough hands around one of Bucky’s forearms. The touch was warm and damp and sent shivered down said arm.

“Okay. Okay,” Bucky said, more to reassure himself than anything else. “Maybe – maybe you should have some more water – here – you should be careful to re-hydrate.”

Steve accepted the water bottle and took a few swigs. “You don’t have to be worried, Buck, it’s okay. I’m just a bit tired today, is all.” Even though the man looked utterly exhausted, there was a small smile and a strange look on his face – fondness, maybe?

“A bit tired my ass. You look like you’re going to drop dead at any second, punk.”

The smile widened as Steve laughed breathily. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Nope, nuh-uh, totally 100% accurate. What happened?”

Steve shrugged. “Didn’t sleep well,” he said, and didn’t elaborate when Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Well, in that case, you need to take the rest of the day off,” Bucky said. “You’re not gonna go back to work, and you’re sure as hell not going to work out today, not after that.”

Steve raised a teasing eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m not letting you over-exert yourself.” An idea suddenly came to him. “Go hit the showers, and once you’re changed, we’re going straight upstairs.”

Steve tilted his head in confusion. “Upstairs?”

“My premium membership expires tomorrow, and I haven’t used up my free massage yet. We’re going upstairs and we’re gonna go spend an hour being turned to jelly, and then afterwards we’re going to dinner,” Bucky said with a resolute nod.

“Is that so?” Steve said with a teasing tone.

“Yep. You need a day off, and I’m gonna make sure you don’t screw it up. Now go clean up so you don’t stink up the nice spa upstairs. C’mon, go,” Bucky said, shoeing the behemoth of a man towards the shower stalls. Steve laughed, and although it wasn’t as full of energy as it usually was, it was still good to hear and it still made Bucky’s stomach somersault inside him.

It wasn’t until Bucky was rinsing the shampoo out of his hair that he realized he’d just essentially proposed to spend another hour half-naked in the same room with Steve, followed by what could arguably be called a dinner date.

Fuck.

Refusing to give himself too much time to dwell on what Steve might possibly think of him after that, Bucky finished up his shower quickly. He seemed to have beaten Steve out of the shower, and hastily pulled on his track pants and t-shirt, and gathered his things to wait outside. Steve wasn’t much longer, and soon emerged from the change rooms with his hair still dripping wet. Though the bags under his eyes didn’t look any less heavy, Steve seemed a fraction less haggard than he had been before.

The two men stood silently as glass elevator rose smoothly, bringing Bucky and Steve to the top floor. They both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Bucky, on his part, couldn’t help but worry about Steve. Not that he thought Steve would lie to him about the reason for his exhaustion, but there had to be more to it than a simple restless night.

The elevator made a soft ding when it reached the top floor, and the sleek doors slid open. The first thing Bucky noticed about the spa’s foyer were the walls – covered from one end of the room to the other, the walls depicted the silhouette of a snow-covered forest at night. The deep navy-hued sky was littered with twinkling stars met with rugged, angular pine trees, between which deer and other animals frolicked. At first, Bucky thought it was some kind of wall paper, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was all hand-painted.

Soft, cream coloured leather sofas were arranged around two glass coffee tables, which were decorated with small granite statues and translucent minerals. The room was well lit, and soft music mixed with soothing sounds of nature filled the background.

Behind the reception desk, a lighted sign displayed the name ‘Northern Reflections Spa’ over top some sort of glass-with-neon-light installation that did an excellent job of evoking the impression of the Aurora Borealis. Sitting behind the reception desk was an older looking man. Bucky blinked. The man was wearing a red and black flannel shirt that was stretched tight across an impressive chest; shirtsleeves had been rolled up to the elbow, showing off a pair of hairy, thick forearms. A shock of straight, jet-black hair swept forward from the man’s head, and a barely kempt beard encrusted his firm jawline. Large, thick eyebrows framed a pair of deep brown, very bored looking eyes. In fact, with his chin in one hand and his other hand tapping mindlessly at the counter, it was very evident that this man was very bored.

At the sound of the elevator, the man looked up. He seemed completely disinterested when he saw Bucky, but as Bucky saw his brown eyes track to Steve, the man seemed to jolt, sitting up straight with attention.

“Well if it isn’t the Ken doll,” the man said with a smirk. His voice was deep and gruff, and he sounded like he was still groggy after having just rolled out of bed.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Hello to you too, Logan.”

“It’s not every day that we get a visit from Golden Boy; to what do we owe the pleasure? Here for business, or leisure?”

Steve sighed as they both approached the counter. “Leisure.”

Raising one large, furry eyebrow, Logan asked, “Oh? Is that so? And who’s your boyfriend over there?”

Bucky stumbled, and when he regained his footing, he looked up to find, to his extreme amusement, that Steve was blushing bright red. “Not my boyfriend,” Steve choked.

Logan’s smirk doubled in size. “Oh? Not boyfriends? Is that by your choice, or his?”

Steve cleared his throat, his face still burning bright red, and Bucky had to wonder – Did Steve... like him? Like, _like him_ like him? Up until that point, Bucky hadn’t really let himself even consider the possibility, but now...

“Bucky and I don’t have an appointment, but if you guys are free, we were hoping if we could slot in a one hour session?” Steve said.

With a chuff of amusement, Logan uncrossed his arms. “The place is emptier than a bat cave at night. Should be no problem. I’ll just need your membership cards, boys,” he said, typing into the computer. Both men produced their membership cards, and scanned them into the system. “All good to go,” Logan said.

When he finished typing, the man stood up – taller than Bucky was expecting – and yelled “HEY PRINCEY! WE GOT BUSINESS!”

Bucky was taken aback by the shout, but a second later, the frosted glass doors on the left side squeaked open a crack, and a head popped through the opening. It was the face of a man with shoulder-length, straw-blonde hair. Curious, clear blue eyes spied from behind incredibly long lashes. High cheekbones, a strong brow, and a very neat beard framed the man’s face.

“Did you say something, friend Logan?” Upon seeing Steve, the man’s face lit up with a large smile, and the rest of his body emerged. “Captain!” the man bellowed happily as he stepped into the room with his arms raised, and Bucky almost took a step back. This guy was huge! Towering over both Steve and Bucky, the guy was well over six feet tall! Dressed in a white polo shirt and beige slacks, this man was also bulging with muscle. (What was it with these Rogers’ H&R employees? There had to be something in the water they were drinking...)

Steve gave a small smile in return. “Thor,” Steve said in greeting as the man wrapped his arms around Steve and lifted him off the floor in a huge hug. (Bucky was totally not jealous).

“It has been too long!” the man – Thor, apparently – said as he set Steve back down on the carpeted floor.

“Only a couple weeks,” Steve mumbled.

Thor’s eyes then moved to Bucky. “Welcome, friend!” Thor said heartily, offering a handshake.

“Hi,” Bucky said, accepting the handshake.

Logan walked around the counter. “We got work to do, Princey,” he said, cracking his knuckles.

Thor raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“One hour massage for two,” Logan replied.

Thor’s face lit up with a wide grin. “Excellent!” he said, turning to Bucky and Steve. “Please, follow me, friends!”

Throwing the frosted doors open, Thor led them into a clean corridor lined with doors. The large man chatted amicably with Steve as they walked, and it wasn’t long before they were being ushered into a small room. The walls were painted with a mix of pale gray and blue. Two massage tables were set up in the centre of the room, and several tables and shelves lined the walls. Two sets of bamboo panel dividers were placed to block of each of two corners. The room was lit with a combination of pale fluorescent blue-green lights and an assortment of candles.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable,” Thor said, gesturing to the tables. “Captain, is there anything you will need?”

Steve shook his head as he walked towards one of the tables. “No, I think we should be good.”

“Very well, Logan and I will return shortly,” Thor said before closed the door behind him.

There was a pair of shorts and a towel laid out of each of the massage tables, and Steve was collecting the shorts that was lying on his table. Bucky moved to follow suit.

“So... Captain?” Bucky inquired as Steve disappeared behind one divider sets to change.

“Long story,” said Steve.

“Can I get the Cliff Notes version?” Bucky asked as he grabbed his pair of shorts and stepped behind the other dividers to change.

“I used to be in the military – served two tours overseas. I was a captain when I was discharged.”

“Oh,” Bucky said, and honestly, what had he been expecting? He had figured that it was some sort of inside joke or something; but he should have totally seen this as a possibility. Bucky felt kind of mortified with himself. “I- Steve, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“That’s okay,” Steve said, accompanied by the sound of the wooden divider shifting from across the room. “I don’t mind talking about it with you.”

Bucky felt a blush creeping up on his face, and he was glad that he was still hidden behind the divider. He had a lot of questions, but he felt that perhaps now wasn’t the best time to ask them. Pulling on his pair of shorts, Bucky moved out from behind his divider.

Steve was sitting on one of the massage tables, clad only in the provided pair of white shorts. His toned and sculpted muscles rippled beneath his pale, milky skin, tinted in the colours of the soft lighting. The man’s short, light blonde hair, still slightly damp from his earlier shower, clung in small locks atop his head. With his elbows on his knees, Steve looked tired.

“How you doing?” Bucky asked as he approached, placing a gentle hand on the man’s shoulder. “Okay?”

Steve looked up, the heavy bags under his eyes exaggerated by the dim lighting. “Yeah, I’m okay.” A soft smile. “Thanks, Buck,” Steve said quietly.

Bucky sat down on the massage table opposite just as there was a knock at the door.

“We’re decent,” Steve said with a raised voice, and a moment later the door clicked open. Thor entered the room with a towel thrown over one shoulder and several bottles in his arms, followed closely by Logan.

“May we commence?” asked Thor as he set the bottles down on the far counter.

Steve looked to Bucky, a silent question on his face.

Bucky nodded.

“Yeah, we’re ready.”

“Please arrange yourselves on the table face down.”

Steve and Bucky did as they were told. Bucky fitted his face into the headrest, and tried to make himself comfortable. He’d never gotten a professional massage before – they were expensive and he’d never really had the money to afford one – so he wasn’t sure what to expect. A minute later, a pair of neat white sneakers entered his field of view, and Thor’s deep, resonant voice sounded above him.

“Friend Bucky, do you prefer orange, vanilla, or plum blossom scented oil?”

Bucky blinked. “Um... orange?”

A few minutes later, a pair of large, soft, warm, moist hands touched Bucky’s back. Spreading the warm orange scented oil over his shoulders, Thor began working gently around Bucky neck. Soft at first, the masseur’s touch gradually became firm. Thor kneaded Bucky’s muscles beneath his palms, and Bucky almost moaned with how good it felt.

The warm room and gentle music helped relax Bucky, and he found himself getting lost in the massage. Thor’s hands felt amazing as they worked out the tightness in his body, and soon Bucky was in an almost trance-like state. Drifting in and out of consciousness, the only thing that he felt was Thor’s pair of godlike hands. Over the hour, those magical palms and fingers worked over Bucky’s back, from his shoulders down to the base of his spine, his legs from his thighs to the tip of his toes, and his arms, all the way down to his fingertips. By the end of the hour, Bucky felt like a puddle of jelly, and it was incredible.

After the hour was finished, Thor and Logan cleaned up and left the room to allow Steve and Bucky to change.

“Unnnggg,” Bucky moaned as he lifted himself off of the massage table.

Steve laughed quietly. “Good?” he asked, getting up from his own table.

“Fucking amazing,” Bucky said as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

“Yeah, Logan and Thor are really good.”

“I almost fell asleep,” Bucky admitted with a laugh.

“Don’t worry, I actually did fall asleep,” Steve replied, earning another laugh from Bucky.

Grabbing the towel on the side, Bucky was getting up to get changed back into his clothes when Steve said his name quietly.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah Steve?”

“Thank you,” the blonde said quietly. He was sitting up on the padded table, his body glistening faintly from the massage oil.

“For what?”

“For today. I just- I appreciate it.”

Bucky smiled kindly. “No problem,” he said, placing a hand on Steve’s bicep. “I... I care about you, Steve. I just want you to be okay.”

Steve looked up at him, and his eyes looked a little wet. “Thank you,” he said, slowly falling forward until his forehead bumped into Bucky’s collar bone. Bucky brought his arms up and wrapped them around Steve’s broad shoulders in a hug; Steve’s own large arms wrapped around Bucky’s waist. Letting his face fall into Steve’s hair, the other man pressed closer and nuzzled into Bucky’s chest, cause his heart to leap against his ribcage. They stayed in this embrace for a while, and Bucky relished being close in Steve’s presence, his feelings for Steve slowly swelling and swirling inside him.

When Steve pulled back, he smiled softly at Bucky, and Bucky couldn’t help but grin in return. They quickly changed back into their clothes, and gathered their belongings to leave. Thor and Logan were bickering quietly behind the counter when they entered the lobby, but both stopped to wish them goodbye.

“Please return soon, Captain Rogers! Your presence is fortifying for the spirit!” Thor said with a booming voice and a large grin as Steve pressed the elevator button.

“I will. It was good to see you too, Thor,” Steve replied with a chuckle as the two of them piled into the elevator.

“Rogers? Your last name is Rogers?” Bucky asked, feeling something tickle the back of his mind. “WAIT, Rogers as in, ‘Rogers Health and Fitness’?”

Steve frowned. “Um, yes?”

“Oh my god, Steve, are you... the owner of Rogers H&F???”

“You didn’t know that?” Steve asked, looking genuinely confused.

“NO! I most certainly DID NOT!” Bucky said, feeling super self-conscious about himself.

“Is that... uh... is that a problem?” Steve asked, looking worried.

“What? No, no! Of course not, I just – I guess I’m just surprised. Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak out like that, just... Wow, I didn’t know that.”

“Um, okay?”

Bucky took a deep breath and smiled, trying not to let the fact that he was apparently good friends with and had an enormous crush on someone who probably earned more money in one year than Bucky had ever seen in his entire life.

The sky above Los Angeles was streaked with pink and lavender as they left the building, Steve leading Bucky to the parking lot where he ushered Bucky into his car. He had insisted on picking the restaurant and paying for dinner, and Bucky didn’t have the heart to argue too hard. As they drove through the darkening streets of LA, Bucky looked out the window as he watches the city pass by, the sound of Steve’s deep voice soothing as he regaled the adventure that culminated in his first meeting with Thor. Bucky followed along with the story, nodding and laughing in the right places, but otherwise was content to bask in how much Steve’s voice made him feel at home. Glancing over, Steve’s face was outlined by the setting sun, his eyes focused on the road, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, his entire attention engrossed in the story and the act of driving.

The man was beautiful, and that’s when he felt it. That’s when Bucky knew.

He was in love with Steve.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when they pulled up in front of a fancy looking restaurant. The space was sleek looking, yet had a humble, down-to-earth atmosphere that made Bucky feel at ease. Conversation between them came easy, and Bucky loved how they moved fluidly from one topic to the next. Steve seemed to open up, and he talked about his past. Bucky was surprised to discover that Steve had also grown up in Brooklyn, only a few city blocks away from where he had spent his childhood – they must have crossed paths many times without knowing it. He talked about graduating high school, not knowing what to do or where to go, and enlisting with the army. He told Bucky about how hard it had been coming back and adjusting to civilian life again, how he still couldn’t sleep well most nights, which was why he was at the gym at strange times in the middle of the night, and why he’d struggled so much in today’s yoga class.

Bucky wanted to reach across the table and hold Steve’s hand, wanted to weave their fingers together and tell him that he was sorry, tell him that he wanted to help him in any way that he could. But a combination of his own cowardice and not wanting to overstep the boundaries of their friendship prevented him from doing so. Instead, Bucky had to settle for patting Steve’s arm, hoping that the sentiment of his emotion got through.

In return, Bucky told Steve about moving to LA, chasing his dreams of fame and fortune, told him about how his family ties had frayed with the discovery of his bisexuality, about settling into a life living from paycheck to paycheck.

Once meal had been finished and the bill payed for, Bucky followed Steve back out to his car. Under the light of the street lamps, Steve’s skin seemed to glow.

“Bucky?”

Bucky looked up, Steve standing only a pace or two away, looking almost conflicted. “Hm?”

Steve took a step closer, and their gazes locked. As the man entered his personal space, Bucky’s awareness heightened, his pulse quickening.

“Steve?” he whispered, unsure of whether or not he was reading into things that weren’t actually there.

“Buck...” Steve exhaled, his warm breath ghosting over Bucky’s nose and cheeks. They were standing so close that Bucky could feel the heat radiating from Steve’s body, and he felt like an iron filament caught in Steve’s magnetic field – irresistibly pulled towards the man by invisible forces.

Slowly, painstakingly slowly, Steve leaned forwards. His blue eyes searched Bucky’s face for any sign of resistance as the distance between them disappeared inch by inch.

And then Steve’s lips were brushing over his own, and Bucky felt like a spark setting kindling to flame. Exhaling with all kinds of emotion, Bucky leaned up, opening his mouth to welcome Steve’s tongue and lips. Gasping in surprise, Steve immediately deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Bucky gently as Bucky kissed back with fervor.

Bucky allowed himself to get lost in the kiss, the feeling of Steve’s dry lips and warm, wet tongue, the sensation of the man’s blonde hair as he combed his fingers through the short locks, the heat of Steve’s body as they pressed together, the erection in both their jeans evident to each other.

When the need for oxygen became too great, Bucky broke away from the Steve’s lips. Steve’s fingers tightened reflexively before he realized that Bucky just needed some air, and the two stood with their foreheads touching as they gasped for breath.

“Jesus, Stevie,” Bucky panted as his heart raced, his blood thrumming like a chorus through his veins.

“Sorry,” Steve said, “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

Bucky laughed breathily. “You’re not the only one,” he said.

Steve’s blue eyes were sparkling, and he looked like he was barely able to contain himself. “Buck...”

“Yeah Stevie?”

“I... I don’t want to make you feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do, and I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but you're a very attractive man and I like you a lot, and I hope it's not too fast, but I...”

“Steve, are you me to do the horizontal tango with you tonight?”

A deep rose blush crept up from under Steve’s collar and crawled up to his cheekbones. “Um... yes? I would totally understand if you don't wa- umf!”

Bucky didn’t even let the man finish his sentence before smothering him with a kiss. “Yes,” Bucky panted when they finally broke apart again. “It’s not too fast; I’ve wanted this for a long time too,” he said, licking his lips in anticipation.

“Really?” Steve asked, his eyes dark with lust.

“Yes.”

Swooping down for another passionate kiss, Steve pressed their bodies even closer together. “Alright, is my place okay?” The man’s voice was low and husky and it sent shivers right down to Bucky’s already aching hardness.

“Yes,” Bucky almost whimpered, already anticipating what he hoped was going to be a long night to come.

-8-

*three years later*

“BARNES!”

Bucky ducked his head as a light blush crept up onto his face as he and Steve walked into the bar. It was early in the afternoon, and Peggy had closed the bar just for their party. Steve’s fingers were linked with his own, and the larger man gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as they approached the counter. Dugan, Gabe, Dernier, and Morita were already lounging on the barstools as Falsworth poured drinks from behind the bar.

“Hey guys,” Bucky said with a small, slightly embarrassed wave.

Everyone got up to greet them with warm hugs.

“Congratulations!” said Falsworth as he clapped Bucky on the shoulder.

“Let me see the ring!” said Dugan, sounding like a kid in a candy store.

Bucky’s blush deepened as the Englishman made grabby hands for Bucky’s left hand. Extricating his fingers from Steve’s, Bucky couldn’t avoid feeling embarrassed as Dugan and Morita fawned over his new, gleaming silver ring.

“MY BOYS!”

With his left hand still in admiring clutches, Bucky turned to see Sam and Riley coming through the front doors, both dressed in pressed jeans and stylish button-up shirts.

“Bucky! Steve! Congratulations on the engagement, man!” Sam called as he approached.

Steve smiled warmly at Sam as they embraced. “Thanks, Sam. Hey Riley, I’m so glad you could make it!”

Riley grinned. “I’m glad too,” he said. Bucky hadn’t gotten the chance to meet Riley until well over a year into his relationship with Steve. While Sam had left the armed forces several years ago, Riley had stayed on to do an extra tour overseas. From their first meeting, however, Bucky had gotten along well with Sam's husband.

More guests continued to arrive, and eventually, the small party had moved into full swing. Bucky sipped from his bottle of beer as he leaned back on the bar counter. Across the room, Darcy and Peter was engrossed in a heated conversation with Gabe and Morita; Thor was having a laugh with Peggy and Nat, Pepper and her on-and-off boyfriend Tony were mingling with some of the other trainers from the gym, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Bucky smiled.

It felt good to be surrounded by all of their friends, celebrating their engagement. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, Bucky was probably still in shock, a little. He still couldn’t believe that he’d manage to befriend someone as caring, kind, and amazing a Steve, let along have the chance to date, and now be engaged to - and soon to be married to - such an amazing man.

Looking across the room, Bucky’s eyes fell upon his fiancé. He was engaged in a conversation with Bruce, a bottle of beer in his hand. Steve was dressed in a soft weave green button-up, unbuttoned and revealing a white t-shirt underneath that clung tantalizingly to his muscles. Leaning back on the bar, Bucky just wanted to enjoy the moment.

It didn’t last, however.

“BUCKY!”

Turning to the summons, Bucky found Darcy weaving his way towards him.

“What’s up, Reception Monster?”

“I have the best idea ever,” Darcy said, a mischievous look in her eye.

Bucky raised an eyebrow in a sceptical look. “Okay...?”

“You and Steve should totally get married at the gym!”

“Um... What?”

“It would be totally fitting! You two practically live there, and Steve owns it so you won’t have to pay for an expensive venue, it’s where you met – it’s perfect!”

Bucky cringed. “That’s a horrible idea!”

“What’s a horrible idea?” said a familiar, deep voice as a large, warm hand slid around his waist. Bucky turned to find Steve looking down at him in curiosity. Leaning down for a peck on the lips, Steve asked, “What’s this idea?”

Darcy perked up like a lightbulb. “You and Bucky Bear should TOTALLY have your wedding at the gym!”

“We are NOT getting married at the gym!” Bucky said adamantly.

“We’re not?” asked Steve.

“No! We’re not!”

Darcy pouted. “Aww c’mon Bucky, it would be SO AWESOME, and Rogers’ H&F is such a nice building! You could TOTALLY do the ceremony in the weight room, or even in the pool room!”

“The weight room?” Bucky said, launching himself into a heated argument over the logistics of holding their wedding at the gym – the goddamn gym!

Twenty minutes into the argument, while Bucky was explaining to Darcy how un-romantic it would be to have the reception in the cafeteria, Bucky felt the press of dry lips to his temple. Stopping mid-sentence, Bucky turned to see Steve watching him with a twinkle in his sky blue eyes.

“Huh?” said Bucky, slightly stunned from the interruption.

“I love you,” said Steve softly, placing another soft kiss to Bucky’s forehead.

Bucky blinked. “I love you too,” he said, nuzzling into the crook of Steve’s neck.

“Aww, such a cute couple! You know, this would look great in the yoga studio lobby, the lighting there is just perfect for-”

“We are not having our wedding at the gym!” Bucky growled, pressing closer to Steve’s warm body.

Darcy merely laughed as she turned to the bar for another martini.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was super fun and kind of a bit of a crack fic for me, but it was a totally labour of love! It was a lot of fun to write! I've unofficially been referring to this fic as Fitness!AU and honestly it was a blast! Shout out again to the awesome people at [ The Stucky Library ](http://thestuckylibrary.tumblr.com/) for being amazing curators of our beautiful fandom and for organizing this massive endeavor, and also to my amazing and wonderful friend [ Ghost-Fish ](http://ghost-fish.tumblr.com/) who forc- I mean, inspires me to continue to write, despite attenuating circumstances. Also a thank you to my wonderful friend [ Lapari Caprise ](https://www.fictionpress.com/u/834928/) for her beta services.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it =P


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